Are Small Satellites Hazardous in Comparison to Large Spacecraft^|^#063;

The Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space consist of seven guidelines to be considered for the mission planning, design, manufacturing and operational (launch, mission and disposal) phases of spacecraft and launch vehicle orbital stages. In order to compare small satellites with large satellites in terms of impact on the orbital debris environment, this paper focuses on guideline 3 in the mitigation guidelines, which limit the probability of accidental collision in orbit. The probability of accidental collision is a function of the effective cross-sectional area. Large satellites have a larger effective cross-sectional area in comparison to small satellites, so that large satellites specify a higher probability of accidental collision than small satellites do. The number of fragments to be generated by a collision is a function of mass. Therefore, in the comparison to small satellites, large satellites also generate more fragments and add them to the environment.