WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — The U.S. Space Force is seeking out innovative ideas on how to clean up the growing space debris problem in low Earth orbit.
Those interested in putting their ideas forward will have the chance through SpaceWERX's new opportunity called Orbital Prime.
"Our goal through Orbital Prime is to partner with innovative minds in industry, academia and research institutions to advance and apply state-of-the-art technology and operating concepts in the areas of debris mitigation and removal," said David D. Thompson, Vice Chief of Space Operations for the U.S. Space Force.
Thompson says the vision for the partnership is to "aggressively" explore capabilities that the Space Force will be able to purchase as a service in the future.
The Orbital Prime STTR is set to focus on three tech tracks with Phase I addressing the feasibility of proposed solutions to the space debris problem and Phase II focusing on prototyping.
On-orbit capability demonstrations will operate on an accelerated timeline of 2-4 years, according to SpaceWERX.
It's getting congested in low Earth orbit as the limited area continues to be littered with space debris. It's a problem the U.S. Space Force says threatens the long-term sustainability of the "space domain."
Thompson says the Space Force currently tracks more than 40,000 objects in space that measure from the size of one's fist or larger — not to mention the mass of smaller objects lingering beyond the Earth's atmosphere that are impossible to track.
"Conservative estimates say there are at least ten times as many smaller objects in orbit that we cannot reliably track and yet those smaller bits of debris pose as much or greater risk to our satellites as the larger pieces," Thompson said.
According to NASA's last reported calculation, millions of pieces of debris are tracked as they orbit Earth. The objects can travel up to a speed of 17,500 mph which can damage both satellites and spacecraft.
The problem the Space Force is hoping to solve isn't anything new. But with the growing commodity of space and what feels like a slew of new companies getting funding for launches, there's not much room left in an already heavily trafficked area.
"The rising population of space debris increases the potential danger to all space vehicles, but especially to the International Space Station, space shuttles and other spacecraft with humans aboard," NASA has said in the past.
As you can imagine, there isn't a crew that can remove the amount of debris occupying space on a daily basis. So, what type of partnerships are being sought?
According to Thompson, the problem demands solutions that look to recycle, reuse or remove space debris. The initiatives also need to focus on removing objects as large as a defunct satellite all the way down to items measured in centimeters.
"It is imperative for the long-term safety, security and sustainability of the space domain that we find innovative solutions to these challenges," he said.
The Space Force is accepting applications for investment opportunities until Feb. 17. Those who are selected for a Phase I contract are projected to be awarded $250,000.
If you ever want to track all the "stuff in space" you can do so through an interactive map here.