Space Debris Tracking CubeSat; The Outer Space Treaty: Examining United States Compliance and the Future of Space Governance

As space continues to grow into an avenue for technological advancement and exploration, space debris becomes a significant issue that can threaten these achievements. Whether this debris collides with space infrastructure or complicates future rocket launches, its effects could be detrimental to the way humanity accesses space from now until the future. Currently space debris larger than 10 centimeters are tracked by the Unites States government, but any debris smaller than that is lost in space. Travelling at speeds of up to 18,000 miles per hour, debris this small can still cause immense damage if it collides with other objects. My technical Capstone project aims to resolve this issue by designing a CubeSat that has a sensor that can detect this space debris to determine its orbital characteristics. However, space technologies are extremely complex to develop and implement, including the legal and regulatory complexities that come along with it. This introduces the research for my STS paper, which explores the effectiveness of the Outer Space Treaty (OST), which is the main governing framework for space use and exploration. When developing new technologies, the OST must be considered to ensure that its use is responsible and does not harm any entities or the environment as a result, which would need to be realized in the development of the space debris tracking CubeSat. Furthermore, the OST does not adequately address the space debris problem of the present day, emphasizing the need for an updated framework to ensure space sustainability for the future. The treaty has been used since 1967, highlighting that issues and technologies of today may not have been addressed in the 58-year-old document.
To address the growing issue of space debris in low Earth orbit (LEO), my Capstone team set out to design and prototype a method for detecting space debris smaller than 10 centimeters in diameter. Our goal was to achieve a technology that not only identifies debris using radio frequency transmission but also gathers critical data about each particle, such as velocity, size, and distance from the radar system. This information would then be stored in a database to track currently unidentified objects in orbit, allowing satellites to avoid collisions and helping mitigate the risk of creating even more debris. Initially, the project focused around designing a 3U CubeSat that would carry the sensor detecting technology. However, after completing the Preliminary Design Review, the project shifted away from developing the CubeSat and concentrated on designing and prototyping the detection sensor that could fulfill the mission objectives. This redirection changed the original objectives, constraints, and design requirements of the project, but it also narrowed the focus onto one subsystem that would eventually become the CubeSat’s payload. Following this transition, the mission statement evolved into designing and testing a sensor capable of detecting this small orbital debris, aiming to advance the technology from a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 1 to TRL 3. Tracking TRL milestones has provided the team with clear goals of moving from the basic observation and reporting of fundamental principles (TRL 1) to developing an analytical or critical proof-of-concept function (TRL 3).
The launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union in 1957 marked the beginning of the Space Race, reshaping the course of scientific history through the new possibility of human expansion into space. From that moment forward, nations and organizations across the globe prioritized space research and development, driving technological innovations that benefitted both space exploration and life on Earth. As competition surrounding space activity grew, the need for governance and regulation became increasingly clear, introducing the establishment of the Outer Space Treaty in 1967. The treaty’s core mission was to promote the use of outer space for the benefit of all humanity. However, given that nearly six decades have passed since its inception, continuing to rely on a document written for a much different era raises concerns. Because of this, it is critical to investigate and assess the OST’s effectiveness over time to ensure that humanity’s future in space remains positive. As a result, the overarching STS research question is whether the OST is effective, or if future changes or updates are necessary. To address this question, a historical analysis framework will be used, examining the treaty’s successes and shortcomings to form a conclusion. Due to the vast amount of activity during the space age involving numerous international players, the research will primarily focus on United States history to provide a more streamlined analysis.
It has been extremely valuable working on both the technical Capstone project and the STS research simultaneously, as it opened up new insights into both. If done separately, the technical project would force me to think only about the technology and its development, without a focus on other implications in society. Research into space law has informed me to consider design decisions that would continue to make space a frontier for exploration. At the same time, understanding the current rules and regulations of space have made the Capstone project seem even more important of an application, and the issues at hand can contribute to a more reasonable way of governance in space. Overall, a year of working on both of these projects has taught me so much about applying what I have learned in the past four years of college, while also allowing me to consider ethics, sustainability, and the impact that technological development has on society.

School of Engineering and Applied Science
Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering
Technical Advisors: Haibo Dong, Tomonari Furukawa
STS Advisor: Travis Elliott
Technical Team Members: Frances Bailey, Ryan Bartlett, William DelGiudice, Owen Martin, Kenji McCartney, Drew Mouritzen, Swar Shah, Justin Yankow