University of Maryland Orbital Debris Education and Research Center to Host Inaugural Workshop

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Aug. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Center for Orbital Debris Education and Research (CODER) announced today that registration is open its inaugural workshop aimed to drive collaborative efforts addressing critical issues in orbital debris. The workshop will be November 18-20, 2014 at the College Park Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in College Park, Md.

The 2014 CODER Workshop will connect individuals and research from across academe, industry and government to foster collaboration and promote the long-term goal of developing policies, laws and systems that will lead to the effective remediation and control of orbital debris.

Workshop topics will include:

• Historical aspects of debris creation
• Mitigation efforts
• Technology issues
• The science of orbital debris
• National policy issues
• Remediation architectures
• Long-term natural effects
• International space laws and treaties
• Economic impacts
• Debris impact on national security
• Special issues in and near geostationary orbit

The 2014 workshop will include an Orbital Debris Short Course that provides an overview on the origins, challenges and policies related to orbital debris as well as an overview of issues associated with operating in low-earth and geostationary orbit. The short course will be led by Marshall H. Kaplan, founder of Launchspace and an expert in space flight technologies, orbital mechanics and the nature of orbital debris impacts on the space program.

Orbital debris is a global issue. The increasing volume of orbiting space debris could significantly hinder future economy and national security as the world's reliance on satellites for communications, research and defense grows. Orbiting debris can travel faster than ten times a bullet and poses a threat to space-based communications, weather forecasting, commerce, scientific exploration, Earth observation and future space activities.

"CODER is the first academically led center established to address the complete spectrum of issues surrounding the orbital debris problem," said founding faculty member and Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering Raymond Sedwick. "Most existing organizations focus on just one aspect of the problem—tracking, modeling, remediation, mitigation, policy, etc.—but CODER will serve as a research collective to provide expertise in all of these areas."

To learn more about this workshop, or to register, visit www.coder.umd.edu/workshop.

About CODER

The Center for Orbital Debris Education and Research (CODER) will address all types of issues related to orbital debris. These include technology and systems, space policy, economics, legal, and sociological issues. A long-term goal is the development of policies, laws and space systems that will lead to the effective remediation and control of space environmental pollutants.

The center seeks domestic and international collaboration and inclusiveness and envisions multiple sources of government and industry support. CODER will be an international clearinghouse for research and educational programs that address orbital debris issues and it will be a focal point for idea interchange through conferences, meetings and outreach.

For more information: www.coder.umd.edu

SOURCE University of Maryland A. James Clark School of Engineering