A6.8-E9.1 The Space Triad – Practical Space Operations Framework

Darren MCKNIGHT

Senior Technical Fellow, LeoLabs

United States

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The growth of both orbital debris and operational satellites in Earth orbit combine to catalyze the need for a holistic framework for space operations that can provide practical suggestions for more cooperative behavior in space. Space security, space safety, and space sustainability are often treated as independent pillars of space activity, however, increased activity in space is blurring the lines between these three domains. Space safety focuses on short-term collision risk, often to operational satellites, as they attempt to conduct their missions. Many of the best practices for space traffic coordination could reduce tensions related to space security. Further, space sustainability focuses on long-term collision risk to all space objects and means to promote actions that reduce the possibility of deleterious growth of lethal debris. Lastly, space security is a realm that is currently masked with lack of transparency for missions and behaviors of those space systems. More openness and discussions about capabilities that could be interpreted differently depending on the perception of the owner (e.g., the ability to grapple a space object can be seen as both a weapon and an enabler for cleaning up the debris environment) could reduce events that may increase space security tensions. The activities that promote transparency of space activities will likely in turn aid both space safety and space sustainability.

This paper examines scenarios that illustrate the connection between space safety, space sustainability, and space security to promote potential means to enhance all three cooperatively for the global space community. This paper refines previous work by the authors to produce a concise and compelling series of indicators that can lead to more reliable space operations for all.