How can I prevent Kessler Syndrome among space stations?
In a world I'm building - the same one as in Is space piracy orbitally practical? - there are many space stations in low Earth orbit, used as orbital spaceports, each about ten times the size of the ISS. Small shuttles bring in passengers and crew from Earth, and larger craft, docked at the stations, then bring this cargo to Venus, Mars or the Moon.
At this point in time - in the year 2100, 35 years after the events of the space piracy question - these stations are ubiquitous and absolutely necessary for Earth to retain its economic and social status in an increasingly populated Solar System. However, with too many space stations, Kessler Syndrome becomes an issue. The breakup of one station through an accident could quickly be multiplied, proving catastrophic for the network of stations.
I think that about 100 stations could be enough to have an extremely strong trading and exploration hub. However, it seems clear that a terrorist could blow one up. Given the size of these stations and the associated ships, this could prove to be a huge problem, taking down other space stations and satellites, possibly crippling Earth's interplanetary trade.
Shields to protect against small pieces of debris (e.g. Whipple shields) are already in use, but they aren't really helpful against larger fragments. Assuming that it is possible for someone to blow up a station, what measures can the station operators take beforehand to minimize the resulting damage? How can they prevent Kessler Syndrome?
I saw Dealing with space debris and Kessler Syndrome, but I believe this is distinct. That question involves clearing up other debris; this question has to do with preventative measures before any additional debris is created. I believe the answers to this question will be much different, as almost all of those answers suggested cleaning debris up. One did not, but I'm already assuming that there are sensors in place to detect any sudden debris. The problem is still one of avoiding it - not easy to do with large space stations.
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