Orbital structures are becoming increasingly important for worldwide communications and a new generation of technologies. But scientists are warning that the danger of space debris (碎片) is rapidly increasing. Space debris can include pieces of old rockets, non-operational satellites, lost tools and other items. They present a risk to spaceships, satellites and space stations.
In an effort to reduce the amount of debris orbiting the Earth, a group of economists at the University of Colorado at Boulder proposed a yearly fee, or tax, on satellite operators for their use of an orbital path. The group's study on the subject appeared recently in the publication Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Matthew Burgess helped write the study. He said in a statement: "Space is a common resource, but companies aren't accounting for the cost their satellites impose (迫使) on other operators when they decide whether or not to launch. So we need a policy that lets satellite operators directly factor in the costs their launches impose on other operators."
Akhil Rao was the lead writer of the study. He said most of the proposed answers to the problem have been based on using technology to clear away the debris. But, Burgess said, removing debris only means that operators will launch more satellites, and an international treaty calling for a yearly fee or tax would push companies to be more mindful about launching further objects into space.
Christopher Newman is a professor of space law at Northumbria University in Britain. He said that imposing a space tax could be tricky. Newman noted that such a cost could be seen as a restriction on the free use of space, and the effort to place a fee on the use of space could easily be slowed by the many details involved.
