NASA Procedural Requirements

NPR 8715.6E Effective Date: April 18, 2024 Expiration Date: April 18, 2029

Subject: Orbital Debris Mitigation

Responsible Office: Office of Safety and Mission Assurance

Chapter 1. Introduction

1.1 Orbital Debris Mitigation

Space Policy Directive-3, National Space Traffic Management Policy, defines orbital debris as any human-made space object orbiting Earth that no longer serves any useful purpose. This definition covers objects ranging from spacecraft to spent launch vehicle stages to components and include materials, fragments, or other objects which are intentionally or inadvertently cast off or generated.

Preservation of the orbital environment requires that the generation of orbital debris is limited. NASA standards for doing so are based on the following objectives:

a. Orbital debris released as part of normal spaceflight operations by spacecraft and launch vehicles is minimized.

b. The potential for orbital debris generated by collisions or accidental explosions during operations and following decommissioning and disposal is limited.

c. The number of expended or decommissioned space objects remaining in orbit, and their durations in orbit, are limited.

NASA standards furthermore seek to limit the potential for human casualty from objects reentering Earth’s atmosphere to an acceptable level.

These objectives collectively describe the scope of orbital debris mitigation.

NASA’s orbital debris mitigation standard, NASA-STD 8719.14, Process for Limiting Orbital Debris, focuses largely on the protection of the Earth orbital environments. However, NASA recognizes that debris-related concerns may extend to other domains beyond Earth orbit. The NASA standard includes a limited set of requirements applicable to non-Earth orbits.

NASA-HDBK 8719.14 provides relevant background information. NPR 8079.1 provides further requirements and background specific to conjunction analysis and collision avoidance through space object tracking and maneuvering.

1.2 Guiding Policies

NPD 8700.1 defines NASA’s general policy regarding the protection of the public and orbital environment and forms the basis for responsibilities and requirements in this NPR.

This NPR serves as implementation of part of the U.S. National Space Policy of 2020, which states:

Accordingly, NASA seeks to ensure that missions in which it is involved adopt responsible debris mitigation standards, the implementation of which is independently reviewed by an appropriate authority.

This NPR distinguishes between cases in which spacecraft or launch vehicle activities are conducted under NASA’s authority and cases where they are authorized and supervised by other governmental entities and, as such, subject to orbital debris mitigation requirements imposed by those entities. Examples of the latter are Federal Aviation Administration-licensed launches (per the National Space Transportation Policy of 2013), Federal Communications Commission-licensed satellite operations, and launches provided by the Department of Defense or foreign partner agencies. For a given mission, this authority may be different for the launch vehicle and spacecraft operations.

If a governmental entity other than NASA is the authority for launch vehicle or spacecraft operations, NASA will defer to that organization for review of the relevant portion of orbital debris mitigation measures. Those portions of NASA-sponsored operations that fall outside the regulatory authority of such entities are considered to take place under NASA’s authority and will be subject to NASA standards and review processes. The responsibilities and procedural requirements in this NPR are defined accordingly.

1.3 Relief from Requirements

As defined in NPR 8715.3, NASA General Safety Program Requirements, requests for the tailoring (e.g., via non-applicability determinations, waivers, or deviations) of requirements in this NPR and NASA-STD-8719.14 (to the extent applicable) are submitted by the Mission Directorate Associate Administrator (MDAA) sponsoring the mission or a designee to the Chief, SMA and adjudicated in coordination with the Office of the Administrator. The Office of the Administrator may delegate individual decisions to the Chief, SMA.

When waivers or deviations result in exceptions to the ODMSP, the National Space Policy requires notification to the Secretary of State. Notifications are performed by the Associate Administrator for International and Interagency Relations (AA/OIIR) in coordination with the Mission Directorate and the Chief, SMA.

Even when NASA-sponsored spaceflight activities are not performed under NASA’s authority, programs and projects should inform Mission Directorates and the Chief, SMA of known exceptions to orbital debris mitigation standards imposed by authorizing governmental entities. The Mission Directorate and Chief, SMA will coordinate to inform the Office of the Administrator.

Given the elevation of tailoring decisions for debris mitigation standards, programs and projects considering relief from such standards should promptly consult the sponsoring Mission Directorate. Concerns about the ability to meet orbital debris requirements should be documented as project risks and communicated during key decision points.

Exemptions or tailoring (e.g., via non-applicability determinations, waivers, or deviations) of requirements in this NPR and NASA-STD-8719.14 (to the extent applicable) that are given or have been previously granted via a mission’s Assurance Implementation Matrix (AIM) as defined in NPR 8705.4, or other documented approval or agreement with the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) or the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) are considered applicable to a mission for its entire lifetime.

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