(a) Orbital debris mitigation. An operator must ensure for any proposed launch that for all vehicle stages or components that reach Earth orbit—

(1) There is no unplanned physical contact between the vehicle or any of its components and the payload after payload separation;

(2) Debris generation does not result from the conversion of energy sources into energy that fragments the vehicle or its components. Energy sources include chemical, pressure, and kinetic energy; and

(3) For all vehicle stages or components that are left in orbit, stored energy is removed by depleting residual fuel and leaving all fuel line valves open, venting any pressurized system, leaving all batteries in a permanent discharge state, and removing any remaining source of stored energy.

(b) Application requirement. An applicant must demonstrate compliance with the requirements in paragraph (a) of this section.