Post-Mission Disposal
The planned removal of a spacecraft from a protected orbital region at end of life — by controlled reentry, an accelerated deorbit, or a disposal (graveyard) orbit.
Post-mission disposal is the set of actions a spacecraft performs at the end of its operational life to clear protected regions and limit its contribution to debris.
In low Earth orbit, disposal traditionally followed a 25-year clearance guideline, now being tightened — for example the FCC's five-year rule for US-licensed satellites — and supported by accelerated deorbit, drag devices, or controlled reentry. In the geostationary region, satellites are typically boosted to a graveyard orbit above the operational belt.
Demonstrating a credible, adequately resourced disposal plan is increasingly a licensing precondition.