Operational and regulatory assessment for satellites recycling

Recycling abandoned or partially failed satellites, also known as zombie satellites (ZSs), is an emerging concept that can significantly reduce the number of satellites to be launched, and ultimately the amount of space junk. By assessing and leveraging the remaining capabilities of those satellites, they can be repurposed for missions different from the initial one. This work conducts an operability assessment of satellite recycling by exploiting their remaining subsystems and equipment for telecommunications and Earth Observation applications. Additionally, the international and national regulatory frameworks relevant to the legal repurposing of satellites are examined and discussed in this paper. Finally, to incorporate recycling considerations into satellite design, various standardization approaches are discussed for future satellite missions.