Impact of Policy on the Establishment of the LEO-Based Collection-as-a-Service Concept

As low Earth orbit (LEO) gets increasingly congested with mega-constellations and re- searchers learn more about the environmental impact associated with launching and de-orbiting single-use satellites, there’s growing interest in fostering circular economies in space. While In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) is a critical capability for circular space economies, ISAM in LEO has made very little traction, even though the LEO environment could benefit from improved circularity. While advancements in technology and improved concepts of operations (CONOPs) could help incentivize the private sector to pursue ISAM in LEO, government intervention may be necessary. Since mega-constellations provide critical services, future regulations and policies aimed at mitigating environmental impact should strike the balance between supporting the continued growth of the space industry and encouraging sustainable operations. This paper aims to identify combinations of policy, strategy, and CONOPs that sufficiently incentivize the private sector to improve sustainability in LEO. This research, featuring collection-as-a-service (CAAS) CONOPs to improve the case for ISAM in LEO, leverages a framework that allows the satellite constellation operator and ISAM infrastructure to incrementally adapt to highly uncertain future scenarios.