Space Junk Worries a 'Handbrake' on Commercial Space

Predicting a booming 2022 for commercial space businesses, speakers Thursday at a Space Foundation webinar also warned that orbital debris is of increased concern. Space junk could be "a real handbrake" to space industry growth, and there needs to be a global plan for addressing it, said Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck. Two of the space insurance industry's biggest worries are increased potential for collisions as space becomes more crowded and higher potential for failures due to proliferation of new satellite and launch technologies, said Chris Kunstadter, AXA XL global space head. He said a better understanding is needed of the risks involved in commercial human spaceflight. The commercial space industry “weathered the [COVID-19] storm … better than most,” said Eric Stallmer, Voyager Space executive vice president-government affairs and public policy. He hopes the stock market slide in the past few weeks doesn’t mean investment drying up. He said commercial orbital debris mitigation and removal deserves more funding. Speakers said workforce issues and competition for employees is a big issue. “Talent is a real throttle for everybody,” Beck said. Spaceflight is in the midst of a several-year transition from being the province of nations' civil space programs to a commercial operation, with a commercially built and operated space station next, said Sierra Space President Janet Kavandi.