Sustainable orbit and the Earth system: mitigation and regulation

The aim of this paper is to implement an interdisciplinary approach to sustainability and protection of the orbital environment. We argue that orbital and planetary sustainability, and the corresponding evolution of domestic, international, and regional regulatory instruments, need to take place in conjunction with sustainability of the Earth System. We engage with complex systems of multiple environments and their interconnectivities from the perspective of two disciplines: engineering and social sciences (law and economics). We look at the existing regulation of orbital debris and more recent Guidelines for the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities (hereinafter “the LTS Guidelines”). The paper argues that an interdisciplinary and mutually supportive effort is needed to achieve long term sustainability of outer space activities. One of the proposals is the Space Sustainability Rating (SSR) initiative that seeks to foster voluntary action by satellite operators to reduce the risk of space debris, on-orbit collisions, and unsustainable space operations.