Orbiting Space Junk Must Be Swept Up in 5 Years Under US Plan

US regulators concerned with a proliferation of orbiting space junk amid a new generation of thousands of satellites are poised to require a quicker cleanup of defunct spacecraft.

Orbital debris includes discarded rockets, defunct satellites and more which have crowded the space just above the Earth's atmosphere. (AFP)

US regulators concerned with a proliferation of orbiting space junk amid a new generation of thousands of satellites are poised to require a quicker cleanup of defunct spacecraft.

Operators will need to bring satellites down from orbit within five years of the crafts' ending service, compared with the current requirement of 25 years, under a proposal issued Thursday by Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The matter faces a Sept. 29 vote at the agency and is expected to pass.

“Orbital debris poses a significant risk to our nation's space ambitions,” the FCC said in its proposed order. With more than 4,800 satellites operating, “there are many more to come.”

Defunct satellites, discarded rocket cores, and other debris now fill the space environment creating challenges for future missions, the FCC said.