Value chain · CLM-0750
In plain terms
The 2020 edition of the international debris guidelines says a retiring geostationary satellite should climb at least 235 km above its working orbit, plus an extra allowance that depends on how large and light it is, and the 235 km is made of 200 km of protected zone plus 35 km for the way gravity nudges the orbit back down.
The claim as recorded
The IADC Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines, Revision 2 of March 2020, recommend that a spacecraft leaving geostationary orbit raise its perigee by at least 235 km plus 1000 times the solar radiation pressure coefficient times the aspect-area-to-dry-mass ratio in m2/kg, with an eccentricity at or below 0.003, and state in the guideline itself that the 235 km is the sum of the upper altitude of the GEO protected region, 200 km, and the maximum descent of a re-orbited spacecraft due to luni-solar and geopotential perturbations, 35 km; the IADC geosynchronous protected region is defined as the shell from 200 km below to 200 km above geostationary altitude between 15 degrees south and 15 degrees north latitude, with geostationary altitude taken as 35,786 km.
Evidence behind this: Three sources, all registered T3 (SRC-226, SRC-227, SRC-228), so the weakest is T3 and no band mixing arises.
Scope and limits
SRC-228's own text layer lost the multiplication and Greek glyphs on extraction, so the formula is quoted from SRC-226 and SRC-227 rather than from SRC-228 itself, and the delta and inequality symbols are transliterated here. The protected-region definition on SRC-228 printed p.7 lost its inequality signs and is therefore paraphrased, not quoted. SRC-228 is dated March 2020 despite a host URL implying 2007; it may not be cited as a 2007 document. Later editions exist: ESA's 2026 environment report lists Revision 3 (2021) and Revision 4 (2025) of the guidelines among its references (SRC-226 printed p.149), and neither has been obtained, so this record states Revision 2 only. The same report still gives the 235 + 1000 Cr A/m formula in 2026, as the IADC formulation, and cites it to the 2002 edition of the guidelines (SRC-226 printed p.135, and reference [8] on printed p.149), so it does not show whether Revision 4 keeps the formula. These are guidelines, not law - see CLM-0756. The formula is a disposal requirement and says nothing about collision risk during operational life.
What it assumes
No assumptions are recorded against this claim.
Where it comes from
Composition of the constant, SRC-228 printed p.11, verbatim: "235 km is the sum of the upper altitude of the GEO protected region (200 km) and the maximum descent of a re-orbited spacecraft due to luni-solar & geopotential perturbations (35 km)." Second condition, SRC-228 printed p.11, verbatim: "An eccentricity less than or equal to 0.003." The formula itself is quoted from SRC-226 printed p.135, verbatim: "The orbit has an initial eccentricity less than 0.003 and a minimum perigee altitude delta-H (in km) above the geostationary altitude, in accordance with equation: delta-H = 235 + (1000Cr A/m); where Cr is the solar radiation pressure coefficient (dimensionless); A/m is the ratio of the cross-section area (in m2) to dry mass (in kg) of the payload." SRC-227 printed p.4 states the same relation as "delta-H > 235 + 1 000 Cr A/M". Protected-region definition paraphrased, not quoted, from SRC-228 printed p.7.
Basis: minimum perigee increase above geostationary altitude, km; eccentricity, dimensionless
Related records
- Answers question
- QST-011 not published in this release
Cite this
energyaperture.com/c/clm-0750
CLM-0750, Energy Aperture, as of 2020-03.
Connected records
Other published records linked to this one. A list, not a judgement.
- Also from SRC-226
- CLM-0751Working the international disposal formula through by hand shows that for a very large and very light satellite the extra height it must...CLM-0752ESA's 2026 report says that nothing naturally removes objects from geostationary orbit the way the atmosphere slowly clears low orbit, so a...CLM-0753ESA's 2026 report says the world is not clearing satellites out of orbit well enough, that even the usual 90 per cent success target would...CLM-0754ESA's 2026 report projects that collisions between existing pieces of debris will keep making more debris in low Earth orbit even if...CLM-0756The international space debris guidelines are advice, not law: ESA's own report says they are a starting point for national rules and...CLM-1183ESA's 2026 report counts about 960 catalogued objects in geostationary orbit at the end of 2025, about 800 of them satellites, but nearly...CLM-1188Over the past ten years, almost every satellite retiring from the geostationary belt has tried to move itself out of the way as the debris...
- Also from SRC-227
- CLM-0748The international radio standard says collisions in geostationary orbit happen at around 500 metres per second, far slower than in low...CLM-0749A 2010 international radio recommendation said the smallest object that could then be tracked in geostationary orbit was just under a metre...CLM-0751Working the international disposal formula through by hand shows that for a very large and very light satellite the extra height it must...
- Also from SRC-228
- CLM-0751Working the international disposal formula through by hand shows that for a very large and very light satellite the extra height it must...CLM-0756The international space debris guidelines are advice, not law: ESA's own report says they are a starting point for national rules and...
- Cited in articles