Which is why getting a Salvage Agreement additional to the Outer Space Treaty regime, applying all the useful lessons of the Maritime Salvage regime to Earth Orbit is a necessity, not a luxury. If people can pay to launch a satellite, they can pay to de-orbit it to keep Earth Orbit safe for others - and themselves. Otherwise the technology and the processes of de-orbiting satellites will forever be subject to misunderstanding of Ems Telegram proportions. I don't believe I have seen an article on techniques developed by ESA or NASA to de-orbit satellites safely, ever described as other than with purely hostile intention when likewise developed and trialled by either Russia or China. I'm all for transparency, and the Maritme Salvage regime provides that in spades. And besides, the Maritime Salvage operators are as far as I can make out, all privately owned and entirely accountable to both their customers and shareholders - not a bad thing at all when too often a big company is only accountable to its shareholders.
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