Space is changing, fast. Thousands of new satellites are going up each year. Thousands of new satellites are being launched each year, with broadband constellations, Earth observation systems, defense platforms, optical relays and sovereign payloads are all jockeying for position in low Earth orbit (LEO). Orbital debris mitigation, which used to be a niche regulatory issue, is now a front-line risk to commercial operations, government capabilities and long-term access to space.

For now, the system is mostly working. The FCC’s orbital debris rules, especially the five-year post-mission disposal requirement and operational altitude standards , have largely succeeded in what they set out to do. Major players like SpaceX and Amazon’s Kuiper are taking debris mitigation seriously. SpaceX mo

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