Insurance Costs Not Yet a Good Debris Incentive, Astroscale Says

Satellite operators should operate under a "leave no trace" model to ensure long-term sustainability of space, Astroscale representatives told an aide to FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, per a docket 18-313 posting Wednesday. It said companies focusing on debris mitigation could be incentivized by lower insurance premiums someday, but currently collision risk isn't adequately priced into third-party liability insurance. The company said the satellite industry needs to adhere to a 95 percent or better post-mission disposal reliability rate.