Silvia Semenzin
Study of Laser-Matter Interaction and Preliminary Design of a Space-Based Laser Ablation System for Active Space Debris Removal.
Rel. Stefano Mauro, Francesco Lopez, Domenico Edoardo Sfasciamuro, Anna Mauro. Politecnico di Torino, Master of science program in Aerospace Engineering, 2025
Abstract
The issue of space debris is becoming increasingly critical as Earth’s orbits grow more congested due to the rapid expansion of space activities. The Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO) regions, due to their immense commercial and strategic importance, are the most intensively utilized. In response to this growing concern, the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) has designated these regions as "Protected Regions" and introduced mitigation measures, including post-mission disposal regulations. However, despite these efforts, debris accumulation continues, particularly in the LEO region, which is estimated to contain around 900,000 objects ranging from 1 cm to 10 cm in size—large enough to penetrate shielding but too small to be effectively tracked.
These objects pose a significant threat to operational spacecraft, as their high-velocity impacts can cause catastrophic fragmentation, potentially triggering the Kessler Syndrome—a cascading chain reaction of collisions that exponentially increases the number of debris objects in orbit
Relators
Academic year
Publication type
Number of Pages
Additional Information
Course of studies
Classe di laurea
Aziende collaboratrici
URI
![]() |
Modify record (reserved for operators) |
