Experimental investigation of soliton formation in a simple ion-electron plasma

Orbital debris, defined as any anthropogenic space object orbiting Earth that no longer serves any useful purpose, poses a risk to all space missions. Due to the dynamic nature of the near-Earth space environment, predicting the trajectory of the debris is extremely difficult, necessitating persistent monitoring. While debris larger than 10 cm can be detected and tracked, smaller debris cannot be tracked using current capabilities. Debris that is too small to track, often termed “lethal non-trackable debris” (LNT), can create significant damage to spacecraft and jeopardize space missions. The detection, tracking, and characterization of LNT space debris would support the safe operation of valuable space assets worldwide.