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in the ocean remote from inhabited regions. The use of this remote location enhances protection of inhabited regions from harm during re-entry and impact. The spacecraft cemetery region contains between 250 and 300 various spacecraft, and has been used by multiple international space exploration organizations, including crafts from China, Russia, and other countries. Currently, the
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processes for space removal include allowing the crafts to decay, collide with other objects, or causing them to explode, resulting in smaller pieces of space debris. As of 2021, new processes for space debris removal are being developed to reduce the unabated proliferation of space debris orbiting earth, such as nets, magnetized collecting arms, and more.
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The most common way to eliminate space debris, when actually done, is to de-orbit crafts, causing them to burn up during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere due to high velocities and air compression resulting in a temperature increase of air and the craft's surface. Other common and less controlled
169:
Earth's spacecraft cemetery is used as a site for spacecraft that have reached their lifetime limit due to fatigue and must be retired. Larger spacecraft too massive to burn up during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere are controlled to crash / splash down in Earth's spacecraft cemetery, a location
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is an international treaty overseeing marine pollution and its contributors. This agreement defines pollution using three conditions: 1) the object must have been introduced into the environment by man, 2) the object contains substances, 3) the object must be detrimental to living organisms. Because
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is any form of man-made object orbiting the Earth that no longer serves a useful function. Currently more than 27,000 pieces of space debris are orbiting earth at high velocities, threatening the safety of human and robotic missions, as well as causing damage to spacecraft. There are few space
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dictates that each state party is subject to the damages to other state parties caused by part of the registered spacecraft on the Earth, which include the ocean. Therefore, countries are obliged to take action when disposal of registered spacecraft into the ocean causes damages to other parties.
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Since the South
Pacific Ocean Uninhabited Area is beyond the jurisdiction of any country, very few laws restrict the activity of nations within this area. International treaties exist but do not clearly assign responsibility to countries about the liability for damages and pollution caused by
229:", the oceanic pole of inaccessibility, is furthest away from any land. The nearest islands are over 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) away from the center. This location has been chosen for its remoteness and limited shipping traffic so as not to endanger human life with any falling debris.
298:
In the perspective of ocean preservation, the United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, also known as Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC), commands that all states have the duty of protecting and preventing marine environment from pollution, even outside the jurisdiction of any state.
267:
stations are among the nearly 200 pieces of
Russian spacecraft debris in this region, making Russia the largest contributor of spacecraft in the cemetery. The remaining pieces of debris in the cemetery belong to the United States, Europe, Japan, and private organizations.
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it is difficult to know how much of a substance remains after it enters the atmosphere, the potential environmental risk of certain spacecraft entering the cemetery may be unknown, leaving much of the treaty up for interpretation. Additionally, the
323:
provides protocols on marine pollution declaring the responsibility for pollution mitigation to those who contribute to it and addresses regional cooperation between nations in order to find the least harmful solutions to debris disposal.
275:, the first Chinese space station, was an unsuccessful targeted re-entry at Point Nemo. During an extended mission phase, control was lost due to a power failure, leading to an uncontrolled landing outside of the spacecraft cemetery.
148:
Uninhabited Region. This region is beyond legal jurisdiction of any country, and therefore faces less regulation. Currently two treaties outline certain laws that can be applied to the spacecraft cemetery. The
311:, a widely used rocket propellant that is highly toxic to living organisms, likely partially survives during re-entry. Radioactive chemicals present in spacecraft are also a cause for concern in the industry.
344:
debris removal processes, one of which is depositing large spacecraft in the spacecraft cemetery on earth, although, due to exhausted maneuvering fuel reserves, in the past this was rarely done.
161:. Other forms of space debris removal are being considered and produced to slow the exponential growth of space debris orbiting Earth due to increased space exploration.
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The spacecraft cemetery is located inside the South
Pacific Ocean Uninhabited Area, a region in the southern Pacific Ocean to the east of the geographic center of the
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Among the pertinent regulations, two general agreements concerning space debris and marine pollution are often expanded upon to govern the spacecraft cemetery.
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There are numerous domestic and international regulatory bodies intended to mitigate potential environmental damage caused by spacecraft pollution. The
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748:"From outer space to ocean depths: The 'Spacecraft Cemetery' and the protection of the marine environment in areas beyond national jurisdiction"
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Current considerations of the spacecraft cemetery include the environmental impact it creates on marine life within the
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With 47% of re-entry mass coming from controlled re-entries, chemical spillage poses a risk to the marine environment.
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reflects on general marine pollution. Marine pollution can be caused by spillage of the highly toxic rocket propellant
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772:
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1996 Protocol to the
Convention of the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Waste and other Matter, 1972
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Nevertheless, this article is only practical when space debris is considered harmful to the marine environment.
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that have reached the end of their usefulness are routinely crashed. The area is roughly centered on "
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produced by the United
Nations reflects on damages caused by spacecraft on opposing nations. The
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137:. A total of more than 263 spacecraft were disposed in this area between 1971 and 2016. The
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A computer-generated representation of Space Debris orbiting Earth in 1980, produced by NASA.
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954:"What generates all the heat during re-entry when the space shuttle returns to Earth?"
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At least 264 spacecraft were disposed in this area between 1971 and 2016. The defunct
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247:, from 1986 to 2001. It was deposited in the Spacecraft Cemetery in March of 2001.
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Area in the southern
Pacific Ocean where spacecraft have been routinely deposited
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435:"This watery graveyard is the resting place for 161 sunken spacecraft"
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is slated to enter the spacecraft cemetery at the end of its lifespan.
534:"Progress Ship returns to Earth with trash and no longer needed stuff"
244:
1013:
921:". National Space Society. October 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
561:"Lead Increment Scientist's highlights for week of Sept. 10, 2012"
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is slated to end up in the spacecraft cemetery upon "retirement".
512:"MIR Space Station is now reentered – March 23, 2001 – 06:45 UTC"
589:
564:
123:
1017:
873:
NASA Space Place (spaceplace.nasa.gov) – NASA Science for Kids
667:"This is where the International Space Station will go to die"
536:. Progress M-18M mission updates. 26 July 2013. Archived from
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However, space debris in the ocean is often left unclaimed.
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Space Debris
Removal, Salvage, and Use: Maritime Lessons
701:"Point Nemo, Earth's watery graveyard for spacecraft"
486:"NZ spacecraft cemetery gets another skip from orbit"
104:there. Other spacecraft that have been routinely
316:United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
155:United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
290:First, the Outer Space Treaty proposed by the
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637:"Mission accomplished for ATV Edoardo Amaldi"
8:
752:California Western International Law Journal
869:"Where do old satellites go when they die?"
38:
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1022:
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837:"Space junk removal is not going smoothly"
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942:. Environmental Protection Agency. 1996.
758:: 367–369 – via Scholarly Commons.
100:stations are among those that have been
62:South Pacific Ocean(ic) Uninhabited Area
51:Spacecraft Cemetery in the Pacific Ocean
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84:, the location farthest from any land.
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7:
746:de Lucia, Vito; Iavicoli, Viviana.
239:, a space station operated by the
225:). The area, roughly centered on "
124:Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
14:
894:"Mir Re-entry – Updated Analysis"
665:Stirone, Shannon (13 June 2016).
612:"Automated Transfer Vehicle page"
488:. 18 January 2007. Archived from
460:"Making sure ATV reentry is safe"
835:David, Leonard (14 April 2021).
803:Convention on the Law of the Sea
559:Love, John (21 September 2012).
37:
30:
82:oceanic pole of inaccessibility
108:in the region include various
64:, is a region in the southern
1:
60:, known more formally as the
172:International Space Station
139:International Space Station
114:International Space Station
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586:"Image of the Day gallery"
284:re-entering space debris.
135:Automated Transfer Vehicle
15:
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433:Smith-Strickland, Kiona.
672:Popular Science magazine
205:47.411667°S 177.379167°E
16:Not to be confused with
271:The decommissioning of
1000:43.58000°S 142.72000°W
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248:
210:-47.411667; 177.379167
1005:-43.58000; -142.72000
616:European Space Agency
335:
328:Space debris disposal
303:Environmental impacts
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131:European Space Agency
127:H-II Transfer Vehicle
1061:Automobile graveyard
773:"Outer Space Treaty"
393:Space sustainability
116:, including Russian
48:class=notpageimage|
1071:Spacecraft cemetery
996: /
842:Scientific American
363:Atmospheric reentry
201: /
146:South Pacific Ocean
58:spacecraft cemetery
1117:Vehicle graveyards
1112:Spacecraft endings
962:Jackson, Tennessee
492:on 11 October 2008
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151:Outer Space Treaty
1089:
1088:
1056:Aircraft boneyard
1045:Vehicle graveyard
466:. 30 October 2013
378:Space archaeology
358:Aircraft boneyard
122:cargo craft, the
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956:. Science Guys.
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643:. 4 October 2012
641:Space-Travel.com
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592:. 6 October 2008
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540:on 1 August 2013
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110:cargo spacecraft
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1081:Train graveyard
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514:. 22 March 2001
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368:Graveyard orbit
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18:Graveyard orbit
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1076:Tank graveyard
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898:www.zarya.info
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292:United Nations
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223:Bounty Islands
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1107:Space debris
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969:. Retrieved
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570:23 September
568:. Retrieved
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542:. Retrieved
538:the original
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516:. Retrieved
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494:. Retrieved
490:the original
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468:. Retrieved
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442:. Retrieved
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383:Space debris
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341:Space debris
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241:Soviet Union
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87:The defunct
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1003: /
991:142°43′12″W
496:11 February
219:New Zealand
208: /
196:177°22′45″E
70:New Zealand
1096:Categories
988:43°34′48″S
971:28 October
958:www.uu.edu
903:28 October
878:26 October
848:3 February
815:1 November
808:(Report).
782:2 November
710:26 October
464:Orion blog
404:References
398:Splashdown
273:Tiangong-1
227:Point Nemo
193:47°24′42″S
129:, and the
78:Point Nemo
74:spacecraft
647:8 October
470:8 January
444:8 January
309:Hydrazine
252:Incidents
159:hydrazine
705:phys.org
352:See also
263:and six
178:Location
119:Progress
106:scuttled
96:and six
72:, where
68:east of
678:16 June
621:21 June
439:Gizmodo
217:, near
165:Purpose
112:to the
102:ditched
80:", the
544:1 July
265:Salyut
245:Russia
98:Salyut
940:(PDF)
806:(PDF)
596:5 May
518:1 May
973:2021
905:2021
880:2021
850:2022
817:2021
784:2021
712:2021
680:2016
649:2012
623:2011
598:2013
590:NASA
572:2012
565:NASA
546:2013
520:2015
498:2009
472:2019
446:2019
279:Laws
56:The
321:EPA
261:Mir
237:Mir
221:'s
133:'s
93:Mir
1098::
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960:.
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186:(
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
