Space debris will pose a hazard to a 104,000 km long, one meter wide space elevator. When considering mitigation options, questions that have to be asked are: How precisely does one need to know the location of the space elevator ribbon? How precisely does one have to know the location, and propagated location of large space debris? To establish a space elevator program, the issue of space debris must be addressed through the establishment of requirements for the knowledge of the debris location and the propagation of that knowledge into the future. Derivative requirements such as response time and anchor platform maneuverability must also be addressed. This paper will address, at a high level, the risk of debris (focusing on the LEO environment) to a space elevator, present potential mitigation measures, and make recommendations with respect to the space elevator and the space debris environment.
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