• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.239-258
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• 2011

Space debris mitigation has become an international custom for international space activities. IADC and COPUOS adopted a Guideline on Space Debris Mitigation. Two Guidelines provided that member states or international organization shall establish a national mechanism to mitigate space debris. China has made progress in legislation on space debris mitigation and management system. It establised a fundamental framework on the legislative mechanism on space debris mitigation and managemental mechanism on space debris mitigation. In order to further improve the national mechanism on space debris mitigation, it is essential for China to strenghen legislation on space activities and specify the duties of management administrates.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.311-321
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• 2020

With the recent breakthrough in technology for micro-satellite, small satellite, and mega constellation missions, and the cost of accessing space from recycled space launch vehicles sharply lowered. Thus, space development is set to make a transition to a new space age that is different from before. Accordingly, the problem of worsening space environment conditions due to the increase in space debris, an inevitable adjunct to active space development, is also emerging as an international concern. In this paper, the contents and trends of international organizations for the protection of the space environment and space debris mitigation guidelines of each country were reviewed and forecast the future movement of the international community. In addition, it is suggested example of guidelines that fit the reality of Korea and how to apply them.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.49-56
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• 2019

The Long-Term Sustainability (LTS) guidelines have attracted the most attention in the recent formation of international norms of behavior regarding outer space activities. The discussion began at the U.N. COPUOS in 2010. In June 2019, the 21 guidelines were finally adopted. The guidelines include international cooperation to promote and support the observation of the situation of orbiting objects, including space debris, for the purpose of preserving the space environment indefinitely, sharing data and forecasts on space weather, and announcing each country's space policy in accordance with international law. Some guidelines have failed to reach a consensus as the mitigation of space debris is often difficult to separate from space weapons tests. As plans for small satellites and Rendezvous and Proximity Operations have been projected for the future, it is expected that each countries' position on preserving the space environment will become more acute.

• Journal of Space Technology and Applications
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2022

In this paper, we described the development of a drag augmentation device for nanosatellite. Recently, space industry has entered the New Space era, and barriers to entry into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for artificial objects such as small rockets and nanosatellite mega constellations have been significantly lowered. As a result, the number of space debris is increasing exponentially, and it is approaching as a major threat to satellite currently in operation as well as satellites to be launched in near future. To prevent this, international organizations like Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) have been proposed space debris mitigation guidelines. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) conducted KARI Rendezvous & Docking demonstration SATellite (KARDSAT) project, the first nanosatellites for rendezvous and docking technology demonstration in Korea, and we also developed drag augmentation device for KARDSAT Target nanosatellite that complied with the international guideline of post-mission disposal.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.469-497
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• 2015

In 2009 Iridium 33, a satellite owned by the American Iridium Communications Inc. and Kosmos-2251, a satellite owned by the Russian Space Forces, collided at a speed of 42,120 km/h and an altitude of 789 kilometers above the Taymyr Peninsula in Siberia. NASA estimated that the satellite collision had created approximately 1,000 pieces of debris larger than 10 centimeters, in addition to many smaller ones. By July 2011, the U.S. Space Surveillance Network(SSN) had catalogued over 2,000 large debris fragments. On January 11, 2007 China conducted a test on its anti-satellite missile. A Chinese weather satellite, the FY-1C polar orbit satellite, was destroyed by the missile that was launched using a multistage solid-fuel. The test was unprecedented for having created a record amount of debris. At least 2,317 pieces of trackable size (i.e. of golf ball size or larger) and an estimated 150,000 particles were generated as a result. As far as the Space Treaties such as 1967 Outer Space Treaty, 1968 Rescue Agreement, 1972 Liability Convention, 1975 Registration Convention and 1979 Moon Agreement are concerned, few provisions addressing the space environment and debris in space can be found. In the early years of space exploration dating back to the late 1950s, the focus of international law was on the establishment of a basic set of rules on the activities undertaken by various states in outer space.. Consequently environmental issues, including those of space debris, did not receive the priority they deserve when international space law was originally drafted. As shown in the case of the 1978 "Cosmos 954 Incident" between Canada and USSR, the two parties settled it by the memorandum between two nations not by the Space Treaties to which they are parties. In 1994 the 66th conference of International Law Association(ILA) adopted "International Instrument on the Protection of the Environment from Damage Caused by Space Debris". The Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee(IADC) issued some guidelines for the space debris which were the basis of "the UN Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines" which had been approved by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space(COPUOS) in its 527th meeting. On December 21 2007 this guideline was approved by UNGA Resolution 62/217. The EU has proposed an "International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities" as a transparency and confidence-building measure. It was only in 2010 that the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee began considering as an agenda item the long-term sustainability of outer space. A Working Group on the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities was established, the objectives of which include identifying areas of concern for the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, proposing measures that could enhance sustainability, and producing voluntary guidelines to reduce risks to long-term sustainability. By this effort "Guidelines on the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities" are being under consideration. In the case of "Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exp1oration and Use of Outer Space" adopted by UNGA Resolution 1962(XVIII), December 13 1963, the 9 principles proclaimed in that Declaration, although all of them incorporated in the Space Treaties, could be regarded as customary international law binding all states considering the time and opinio juris by the responses of the world. Although the soft law such as resolutions, guidelines are not binding law, there are some provisions which have a fundamentally norm-creating character and customary international law. In November 12 1974 UN General Assembly recalled through a Resolution 3232(XXIX) "Review of the role of International Court of Justice" that the development of international law may be reflected, inter alia, by the declarations and resolutions of the General Assembly which may to that extend be taken into consideration by the judgements of the International Court of Justice. We are expecting COPUOS which gave birth 5 Space Treaties that it could give us binding space debris mitigation measures to be implemented based on space debris mitigation soft law in the near future.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.352-362
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• 2016

In this paper, a disposal maneuver which complies the space debris mitigation guideline was analysed for KOMPSAT-2 as an example of LEO satellite. Definition of disposal altitude which comply the '25 year rule', re-entry survivability analysis of KOMPSAT-2 parts inside and casualty area analysis were performed using STK and ESA's DRAMA. Finally, assuming that there were several survival objects during uncontrolled re-entry stage, the re-entry initial orbit elements which show the low casualty probability were found even if there were various uncertainties about the initial orbit. As a result, KOMPSAT-2 should be descended its altitude at least 43km or up to 105km to comply '25 year rule' and there were heavy or heat resistant survival objects which generated $4.3141m^2$ casualty area. And if RAAN of re-entry initial orbit was 129 degree, total casualty probability was lower than standard value of space debris mitigation guideline even if there were uncertainties about the initial orbit.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.127-160
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• 2014

The UN COPUOS was established in 1959 as a permanent committee of the UN General Assembly with the aims to promote international cooperation in peaceful uses of outer space, to formulate space-related programmes within the UN, to encourage research and dissemination of information on space, and to study legal problems arising from the outer space activities. Its members have been enlarged from 24 members in 1959 to 76 in 2014. The Legal Subcommittee, which has been established under COPUOS in 1962 to deal with legal problems associated with space activities, through its first three decades of work has set up a framework of international space law: the five treaties and agreements - namely the Outer Space Treaty, Rescue Agreement, Liability Convention, Registration Convention, Moon Agreement - and the five declarations and legal principles. However, some sceptical views on this legal framework has been expressed, concerning the applicability of existing international space law to practical issues and new kinds of emerging space activities. UNISPACE III, which took place in 1999, served as a momentum to revitalize the discussions of the legal issues faced by the international community in outer space activities. The agenda of the Legal Subcommittee is currently structured into three categories: regular items, single issue/items, and items considered under a multi-year workplan. The regular items, which deal with basic legal issues, include definition and delimitation of outer space, status and application of the five UN treaties on outer space, and national legislation relevant to the peaceful exploration and use of outer space. The single issues/items, which are decided upon the preceding year, are discussed only for one year in the plenary unless renewed. They include items related to the use of nuclear power sources in outer space and to the space debris mitigation. The agenda items considered under a multi-year work plan are discussed in working group. Items under this category deal with non-legally binding UN instruments on outer space and international mechanism for cooperation. In recent years, the Subcommittee has made some progress on agenda items related to nuclear power sources, space debris, and international cooperation by means of establishing non-legally binding instruments, or soft law. The Republic of Korea became the member state of COPUOS in 2001, after rotating seats every two years with Cuba and Peru since 1994. Korea's joining of COPUOS seems to be late, in considering that some countries with hardly any space activity, such Chad, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Lebanon, Cameroon, joined COPUOS as early as 1960s and 1970s and contributed to the drafting of the aforementioned treaties, declarations, and legal principles. Given the difficulties to conclude a treaty and un urgency to regulate newly emerging space activities, Legal Subcommittee now focuses its effort on developing soft law such as resolutions and guideline to be adopted by UN General Assembly. In order to have its own practices reflected in the international practices, one of the constituent elements of international customary law, Korea should analyse its technical capability, policy, and law related to outer space activities and participate actively in the formation process of the soft law.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.46 no.12
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• pp.1037-1048
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• 2018

In this paper, we investigated the international guidelines and actual disposal maneuver cases to prepare KOMPSAT-2 post mission disposal. And then, disposal maneuver plan was established using current propellant of KOMPSAT-2 and verification was also performed to find out whether the international guidelines are satisfied. As a result, the lifetime of KOMPSAT-2 was 3.6 years when 45kg propellant was used to decrease perigee altitude to 300km. And if more than 14.5kg propellant consumed for same strategy, KOMPSAT-2 can satisfy the international guidelines. Finally, re-entry survivability analysis was performed and it represented that heat resistant objects, such as propellant tank and reaction wheel, could be survived but total ground casualty probability was less than international guidelines.