Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies

CORDS was established in 1997 to focus the corporation’s research and technology applications in the areas of space debris, collision avoidance, and reentry breakup and to provide a single point-of-contact for organizations seeking to take advantage of Aerospace’s more than 50 years of experience in these and related technical areas.

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Debris Tutorials

Chinese Space Station Tiangong-1 Returns

As the world watched, Chinese Space Station Tiangong-1 reentered Earth’s atmosphere on April 1, 2018 at 5:16pm PST. Most of the space station burned up upon reentry with any remaining space debris fal...

Satellite Reentry: Manipulating the Plunge

Some believe there’s no such thing as an “unlucky person”—only bad decisions. Tell that to Lottie Williams, the only person in the world to be hit by falling space junk—through no fault of her own. Lo...

Danger: Orbital Debris

It is the most iconic piece of space debris: that famous little screwdriver that slipped through an astronaut’s grasp and has been circling low Earth orbit at up to 21,600 mph for, like, what now—35 y...

Debris Resources

On-Board GPS Transponders for Small Sats

The decreasing size—and growing number—of small satellites in orbit is creating more space debris and a burden for space traffic management. Could onboard GPS transponders be the solution?

It's a Wrap on Space Debris

Brane Craft, a concept for a spacecraft that can economically and efficiently remove space debris, won the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase I and II awards to further help cement The Aer...

CORDS Offers Space Debris Expertise

Increased space debris traffic increases the collision risk for launch vehicles and satellites. Aerospace’s Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies (CORDS) addresses these threats by analyzing p...

Chinese Space Station Tiangong-1 Fiery Reentry

Chinese space station Tiangong-1 disintegrated upon its reentry into Earth’s atmosphere on April 1, 2018, and any space debris that may have survived fell into the South Pacific Ocean.

In Your Space: Rendezvous and Proximity Operations Lessons

Rendezvous and proximity operations will soon become routine. What can the space community do to prepare? Using the International Space Station’s requirements for visiting spacecraft is an approach fo...

Planetary Defense: Risks, Options, and Costs

A major asteroid strike on Earth would cause widespread devastation. What are the options, risks, and costs involved in trying to divert or destroy a near-Earth object (NEO) on a collision course with...

Policy Issues in Evolving Global Space Operations

Based on a survey of over 30 thought leaders, this report takes a focused look at the current state of space activity and details major challenges and opportunities. How will future endeavors in space...

The Policy Compliance Roadmap for Small Satellites

U.S. policy concerning access to space involves several agencies regulating different types and phases of missions. Opportunities for improving and streamlining the approval process for new space syst...

Featured Space Debris Experts

Picture of Lina M. Cashin

Lina M. Cashin Senior Project Engineer , NSS Programs Policy & Oversight Lina M. Cashin is a senior project engineer in the Defense Systems Operations Group at The Aerospace Corporation.

Picture of Ted Muelhaupt

Ted J. Muelhaupt Associate Principal Drector , Systems Analysis and Simulation Subdivision Ted Muelhaupt is the associate principal director of the Systems Analysis and Simulation Subdivision (SASS) at The Aerospace Corporation, working out of the corporation’s Chantilly, VA–based office.

Picture of Dr. William Ailor

Dr. William H. Ailor Aerospace Fellow Dr. William Ailor is the principal engineer for the Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies (CORDS) at The Aerospace Corporation.

Picture of Dr. Andrew Abraham

Andrew Abraham Senior Member of the Technical Staff , Mission Analysis and Operations Department Dr. Andrew Abraham’s area of expertise includes orbital debris, reentry analysis, flight safety, early orbit operations, conjunction assessment, space situational awareness, and space traffic manageme...

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