Technical
Orbital Lifetime
The time a spacecraft or debris remains in orbit before naturally decaying into the atmosphere.
Orbital lifetime is crucial for debris assessment and compliance planning.
Factors
- Altitude (primary)
- Area-to-mass ratio
- Solar activity (affects atmospheric density)
- Orbital shape
EU Space Act proposal (COM(2025) 335)
- The maximum post-mission lifetime in LEO would be set by an implementing act (Annex V point 3.4.2)
- The proposal itself sets no year figure (IADC guideline: 25 years)