Did you see Gravity with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney? Did it make you think about all that stuff orbiting the earth, with more stuff being sent up there all the time? Well, I’m sure you’ll be as glad as I was to know that there’s an ISO Technical Report, ISO/TR 16158, available to keep you astronauts safe! Titled “Space systems – Avoiding collisions with orbiting objects,” it’s a must have document for anyone or anything thinking about an orbital spin!
The 1st Edition of the document has just been released. It describes a number of important things to consider if you or your object is going to be circling the earth. First, it provides you with the work flow you need to spot and avoid collisions with other stuff. Then it covers the data that you need to make the necessary decisions to avoid contact. Techniques are provided for estimating the probability of running into something else and guidance is offered for executing your avoidance maneuvers.
It is not surprising that this topic is getting attention at the International level. The number of organizations with satellites and other orbiting objects is ever increasing. Here we learn that the information required for safe operation can be procured either from other satellite operators (see ISO 26900) or by using sensor systems. And you might think that proximity alone is the primary risk, but satellite orbits appear to be influenced by a variety of forces, leaving one with a more complex challenge when trying to predict possible dangers.
Since these objects are so valuable, it is only sensible to take precautions. You’ll be relying on statistical probability here, considering not only the potential for an near-term catastrophic event, but also long term consequences of any maneuvers made.
The techniques involved can be amusing. NASA has developed a way of defining the area surrounding a satellite necessary for safety as the “pizza box” while NSA uses the term “hockey puck.”
The use of space is essential to our modern world. The ISO/TR 16158 points to a growing consensus on how organizations who have assets orbiting the earth should work together to protect those assets.
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