▁study ▁to ▁the ▁database ▁of ▁known ▁artificial ▁satellite ▁Earth ▁objects . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁approaches ▁to ▁de br is ▁reduction ▁where ▁time ▁and ▁natural ▁gravit ational / at mos pher ic ▁effects ▁help ▁to ▁clear ▁space ▁de br is , ▁or ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁techn ological ▁approaches ▁that ▁have ▁been ▁proposed ▁( with ▁most ▁not ▁implemented ) ▁to ▁reduce ▁space ▁de br is , ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁sch ol ars ▁have ▁observed ▁that ▁institution al ▁factors — polit ical , ▁legal , ▁economic ▁and ▁cultural ▁" rules ▁of ▁the ▁game " — are ▁the ▁greatest ▁imped iment ▁to ▁the ▁clean up ▁of ▁near - E arth ▁space . ▁By ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁there ▁was ▁little ▁commercial ▁in cent ive ▁to ▁reduce ▁space ▁de br is , ▁since ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁dealing ▁with ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁entity ▁producing ▁it , ▁but ▁rather ▁falls ▁on ▁all ▁users ▁of ▁the ▁space ▁environment , ▁and ▁rely ▁on ▁human ▁society ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁that ▁benefits ▁from ▁space ▁techn ologies ▁and ▁knowledge . ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁suggestions ▁for ▁impro ving ▁institutions ▁so ▁as ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁in cent ives ▁to ▁reduce ▁space ▁de br is ▁have ▁been ▁made . ▁These ▁include ▁government ▁mand ates ▁to ▁create ▁in cent ives , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁companies ▁coming ▁to ▁see ▁economic ▁benefit ▁to ▁reducing ▁de br is ▁more ▁ag gress ively ▁than ▁existing ▁government ▁standard ▁practices . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁NASA ▁founded ▁the ▁Or b ital ▁Deb ris ▁Program ▁to ▁research ▁mit