The Innovation Platform Editor Maddie Hall spoke with Kyle Cybul, Founder and Executive Director of the Clean Orbit Foundation, about space debris and the importance of changing the narrative to foster progress
The issue of space debris management is gaining more attention as we recognise its importance for the future of space exploration and the rapid advancement of technology here on Earth.
The Clean Orbit Foundation seeks to redefine our approach to orbital debris, shifting from a reactive cleanup approach to a proactive one. The goal is not only to mitigate the risks posed by debris but also to harness its potential as a resource and take steps to establish a circular space economy.
To discuss how this could work, The Innovation Platform Editor Maddie Hall spoke with Kyle Cybul, Founder and Executive Director at the Clean Orbit Foundation, about the sources and dangers of space debris, the importance of changing existing narratives, and how we can foster a safer and more sustainable space environment.
Can you provide an introduction to the Clean Orbit Foundation and to your work in tackling space debris?
The Clean Orbit Foundation is a US nonprofit organisation dedicated to advancing sustainable space operations. Our mission is to support, enable, and safeguard the emergence of a resilient and permanent human presence in space, with our core initiative being the establishment of a circular space economy (CSE). Currently, the prevailing attitude to space operations follows a linear ‘take-make-use-dispose’ model, littering our orbit with space debris. However, we have reached a pivotal point in the evolution of the space economy. As we move from simply visiting to establishing a more permanent presence, the approach to space debris must shift from reactivity to proactivity.
This is where we step in, helping to build the foundational infrastructure needed for this transition, including shared frameworks, action plans, and economic models. At the Clean Orbit Foundation, we believe that the definitive solution goes beyond merely cleaning up old waste and space debris. Instead, we aim to transition the entire market to a regenerative lifecycle, where assets are designed for modularity, servicing, disassembly, and recycling.
What are the primary sources of space debris, and why has it become such a critical issue?
Space debris originates from many sources, ranging from upper-stage rocket bodies, defunct satellites, and even paint chips. However, the main contributors to the current debris crisis are fragmentation events caused by exploding batteries, leftover pressurised propellants, and, most destructive of all, international anti-satellite tests (ASAT). Deliberate actions, alongside accidental collisions involving legacy assets, have littered our orbital environment, in particular Low Earth Orbit (LEO), with potentially millions of untraceable objects. Despite bans on such tests today, serious damage has already been done, and while some debris from past collisions has naturally deorbited and decayed, much of it remains.
Current projections estimate that we could see anywhere between tens to hundreds of thousands of satellites launched in the near future, particularly with updates from companies looking to deploy large constellations. The addition of these satellites in areas already congested with debris travelling over 17,500 miles per hour only compounds the risk of collisions.
The solution doesn’t have to be economic degrowth or reducing ambition. The core problem is not necessarily the number of assets being sent to space, but our reliance on the flawed linear model of ‘take-make-use-dispose’, which treats debris as waste. Instead, we should see defunct assets as potential raw materials for recycling in space. By rethinking the space debris challenge in this way, we can turn this risk into the foundation of a thriving trillion-dollar circular space economy.
Can you delve into current attitudes toward space debris and the problems with this approach? How does the narrative need to change in order to more effectively tackle the challenge?
Current attitudes toward space debris are mixed and fragmented globally. On the one hand, there is a broad acknowledgment within the industry that it poses a significant problem. However, widespread action to address the issue is still lacking. There are some organisations and individuals striving for improvement, but many still look the other way, viewing sustainability as merely a regulatory burden rather than a genuine priority.
To change this entrenched behaviour, the narrative surrounding space debris needs to evolve. The concept of the Kessler Syndrome is often referenced, and many paint an alarmist picture of its looming threat. While theoretically plausible, this problem-focused approach often creates more friction than support for meaningful change. As with the discourse around climate change on Earth, people develop a tolerance for fear, becoming disengaged or avoiding the issue altogether.
Recognising this, the Clean Orbit Foundation is deliberately shifting away from the doom-and-gloom narrative to adopt a more solution-oriented approach. Rather than framing our discussions around “stopping the space debris crisis before it’s too late,” we focus on how to build a sustainable foundation that allows human civilisation to thrive in space.
This is where the CSE comes into play. The CSE is not just a theoretical construct; it represents a strategic and economic framework that addresses two immense challenges simultaneously: mitigating and remediating orbital debris while fostering the development of a new, multi-billion-dollar industrial ecosystem. By transforming space sustainability from an act of environmental charity into a natural, highly profitable byproduct of a flourishing commercial market, we can rethink how sustainability is approached in the industry.
Our goal is to make sustainability an inevitable outcome of successful business practices, rather than the primary focus. This strategic repositioning not only helps communicate the benefits of sustainability more effectively but also aligns with the longer timelines essential for real progress in space. The issue is that significant upfront investment is required, posing a challenge in sectors that often tend to think quarterly. In reality, the space industry needs much longer timetables to realise its goals. By 2050, we hope that a circular space economy will be the norm, but finding a workable middle ground for developing strategies effective over long timeframes is both essential and difficult.
Across sectors, the need for a Circular Economy has become clear. What are the key features of a Circular Space Economy, and how would the integration of circular thinking tackle the challenge of space debris?
The linear life cycle currently used in space operations needs to be replaced with a system that intentionally designs spacecraft, materials, and infrastructure for reuse, repair, refuelling, recycling, and resource recovery from the ground up. The concept of a circular space economy could fundamentally alter the economics of space debris. Currently, debris is treated as a dangerous environmental liability that operators must work around. By creating a commercial marketplace that incentivises companies to harvest, service, and recycle assets, remediation can ideally occur naturally. A key component here is the emergence of in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM), which is crucial for achieving long-term circularity.
While ISAM is already in development with various concepts being tested, the CSE serves as the essential framework needed to ensure long-term viability. There is a persistent chicken-and-egg problem regarding funding and who will take the lead – governments or commercial entities. Ideally, the CSE closes this gap by emphasising the economic benefits that can serve as compelling reasons for ISAM to integrate into the broader ecosystem.
The overarching goal is to mitigate the debris problem so that it can’t return. Both ISAM and the circular space economy aim to address this issue by focusing on removing debris while simultaneously creating a new ecosystem.
Eventually, we want to reach a point where debris is no longer a problem, allowing us to focus on building a larger ecosystem first in Earth’s orbit and then extending to cislunar space, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The concept of the circular space economy is designed to adapt to every domain we aim to explore. The farther we venture from Earth’s orbit, the more essential a circular economy becomes. If we’re on the Moon or Mars, for instance, we will need the ability to manage emergencies independently.
So far, the approach has been to lay the groundwork in Earth orbit and cislunar space, using these areas as testbeds to validate long-term ISAM, recycling methods, and assess material value in space. While not all debris may be valuable, a considerable portion likely is, and we must continuously seek sustainable solutions to permanently eliminate the debris issue.
Does this shift require an overhaul of the entire space industry from the ground up? Can existing technologies be adapted or evolved to support the shift?
Thankfully, we do not need to dismantle the entire space industry and rebuild it from scratch. The concept of a CSE is about integrating existing ambitions under the ISAM umbrella. Companies are already demonstrating crucial technologies like robotic arms, close-proximity operations, docking, and fluid transfer systems, which are significant steps forward.
However, life extension or servicing, on its own, isn’t a circular solution. If a servicing vehicle simply extends the life of a legacy single-use satellite by two years before it is ultimately discarded, we are merely postponing waste.
What we need is not a complete overhaul of technology, but rather an evolution in both design and economic intent. We need to collaborate and rethink our design philosophy from the ground up, but we don’t have to change everything that is currently being developed. By incorporating the CSE framework into our current ISAM initiatives, we can fill that critical strategic gap. Existing technologies must adapt as operators design spacecraft with standardised, modular interfaces, thereby making robotic servicing more cost-effective and routine.
It is a shift in our mindset, rather than a complete reinvention. The aim is to align emerging technical capabilities with economic incentives, transforming existing satellite servicing into the first profitable step toward establishing a long-term, regenerative orbital market.
Can you elaborate on the concept of space debris as a resource? What are the potential economic implications of debris recycling and repurposing in space?
The rocket bodies and defunct satellites scattered in our orbit are, from a raw materials standpoint, a potentially massive treasure trove. Composed of highly refined materials like titanium, aluminium, silicon, and specialised alloys, they have already bypassed the expensive and energy-intensive journey through Earth’s gravity well. Launching mass into space remains the most costly aspect of any space mission, making the opportunity to recycle and repurpose existing materials an economically compelling alternative.
The concept of in-situ recycling faces scepticism, and it’s important to emphasise that recycling is not an immediate solution but something that will develop over time. Mastering this capability involves utilising technologies for capture, robotic harvesting, and establishing orbital processing depots that can melt down abandoned assets. These repurposed materials can then serve as raw stock for 3D printing, structural manufacturing, or even extracting orbital propellants. Although not every piece of debris will retain functional value – due to radiation exposure, size, and other factors – there remains immense potential within the existing materials that can still be ‘re-tapped.’
Whether in Earth orbit, dealing with space debris, or in cislunar space, on the Moon, or on Mars, mastering recycling is essential for creating a self-sustaining society beyond Earth. Without it, the prospect of living on Mars remains a distant dream. In the long run, there is a possibility that we could establish a largely self-funding loop in which the commercial market value of salvaged materials could finance the cleanup mission itself. Instead of relying on government-funded efforts to remove junk from orbit at a high cost, private logistics networks could take the initiative, potentially turning a profit in the process.
Given the global nature of space debris, how important is international collaboration in scaling sustainable space operations? What are the essential components of effective open infrastructure, and what role does the COF play in establishing these shared frameworks?
Space has no borders; it is a shared global resource, and maintaining its sustainability is a collective responsibility. Since orbital paths cross over every nation on Earth, a single bad actor or a localised collision can generate hypervelocity debris that endangers the entire global market.
We cannot establish a permanent human presence in space with fractured, isolationist approaches. To scale sustainable operations, the industry urgently requires open architectures. This includes unified and transparent Space Situational Awareness (SSA) data sharing, standardised spacecraft docking interfaces, and harmonised international trade and policy frameworks, among others. Without these standards, we will continue to encounter significant friction, silos will persist, and international legal hurdles will hinder cross-border servicing or recycling.
The Clean Orbit Foundation aims to fill this critical gap by serving as a neutral architect that can bridge the divide between commercial innovators and governments to design and advocate for these global standards.
How can we ensure that our policies and regulations around space operations promote long-term sustainability rather than short-term fixes?
Most of the activity today takes a reactive stance. A prime example of this is Space Traffic Management (STM). Currently, STM operates in a purely reactive capacity, focusing on tracking, conjunction screening, and collision avoidance to manage the increasing congestion in space. This reactive approach is a massive burden, preventing us from utilising the full potential of STM effectively. We need to develop policy frameworks that reward operators who actively design for circularity. This could include integrating regenerative logic into launch licensing, trade frameworks, insurance structures, and other design-related initiatives.
Governments play a crucial role in this transition by incentivising standardised, open-source docking and refuelling interfaces, thereby making in-space servicing a routine commercial practice. Establishing clear ‘rules of the road’ for active debris removal and life extension can transform orbital management from a reactive cleanup task into a predictable and highly profitable market framework.
We can use our experiences on Earth to inspire circular practices in space, though the challenges in space are often less visible and easier to ignore. While some believe that if recycling fails on Earth, it will also fail in space, the conditions in space, such as microgravity and radiation, are fundamentally different. Therefore, we can look to Earth for inspiration, if not as an example, for making meaningful changes to the space environment.
What milestones in space sustainability do you hope will be achieved in the next decade? How can we leverage technological advancements, such as AI and automation, to improve space debris tracking, management, and mitigation strategies?
By around 2035, I would like to think the industry will be much more sustainable, driven by a shift in our mindset. In particular, I hope to see the capabilities within the ISAM umbrella transition from demonstrations to fully fledged operations. This includes advancements in recycling technologies, which will be demonstrated at a much more advanced level with significantly improved capabilities. The industry is already conducting demos for several concepts, primarily in servicing, and we are also seeing early-stage assembly manufacturing at lower-to-mid Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). Additionally, we can hope to expect active debris removal (ADR) efforts to reach new heights, effectively removing much of the largest and most hazardous debris, such as rocket bodies.
From an AI and automation perspective, these technologies will be crucial for early-stage exploration, whether in Earth’s orbit or beyond. Space is an inherently harsh environment, and AI, automation, and even robotics will remain essential for constructing infrastructure in space and on other planetary bodies, while minimising the need for direct human involvement. Additionally, the number of assets in orbit continues to grow, making it increasingly difficult to manually monitor and respond to conjunction events. AI will ideally play a critical role in alleviating that burden and creating a more self-sustaining operational loop.
The Clean Orbit Foundation is committed to advancing the narrative around making space safer, more secure, and sustainable. By focusing on the ability to independently utilise resources in space, we are laying the groundwork for a self-sustaining society that will make the dream of living on Mars and beyond a reality. Embracing these advancements is vital for the future of exploration and habitation beyond our planet.
This article will feature in our upcoming Space Debris Special Focus Publication.
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