Have I got a treat for ewe!!! Baaaaah!!!!!!
This is what an Orbital Salvage Treaty should look like. If you like it, pester your local MP or Congresscritter to get it discussed amongst the professional chatterers in the national echo chamber. Share and Enjoy! But have fun! Are we there yet?
The States Parties to this Treaty
Aware that the Outer Space Treaty does not cover all eventualities in Earth Orbit,
Aware of the risk of Earth Orbit becoming closed off to new satellites entering it due to space debris,
Well aware of the impossibilities posed by a legal regime that declares a space object the inalienable property of its launching state, particularly when said space object has suffered a collision with another space object and is now in orbit as a cloud of microscopic debris,
Wishing to apply the advantages of the universally respected Maritime Salvage regime to Earth Orbit,
Have agreed on the following:
Article 1: A derelict satellite is defined as one that does not answer the commands of its manufacturer and/or operator due to unavoidable damage, unavoidable wear-and-tear in the normal run of operations in Earth Orbit, or has used up all its station-keeping propellant. Such satellites shall be regarded as derelict in the same manner as ships regarded as derelict in the sea lanes.
Article 2: States Parties to this Treaty and to the Convention on the Registration of Space Objects undertake to augment the Registration Convention by also submitting to the UN Secretary General, the details of satellites on their registry that are now derelict.
Article 3: States Parties to this Treaty undertake to communicate the identities and orbits of satellites on their registry that are now derelict, to the appropriate Orbital Salvage companies.
etc, etc, etc.