Professor Advocates Circular Economy Approach for Space Junk Problem

The growing problem of orbital debris necessitates moving to a circular space economy that emphasizes reuse, recycling and efficient management of space resources, wrote University of Texas at Austin aerospace engineering professor Moriba Jah this week. Jah said a circular economy means designing spacecraft using materials that minimize pollution and generate less waste, repairing satellites while in orbit to extend their lives, and recycling materials from defunct satellites for use on additional missions without bringing them back to Earth. The technology enabling such an approach has yet to be developed, he added. Meanwhile, governments should incentivize the design and development of sustainable space systems, such as through extended producer responsibility laws, said Jah, who leads the university's Space Security, Safety, and Sustainability program.