Space debris poses a danger to functioning satellites and may eventually threaten astronauts as humanity continues to explore space around Earth. NASA scientists and other experts have called for a legally binding agreement to ensure that “space debris” produced by the burgeoning space industry does not threaten activities in Earth’s orbit.

The space around our planet is becoming more and more crowded with more than 9,000 satellites orbiting today, and Eastern Southern Observatory (ESO) predicts that this number could rise to 75,000 by 2030. While satellite technology undoubtedly provides many benefits here on Earth, the growth of the industry could render large areas of Earth’s orbit unusable. The problem is compounded by the fact that failed satellites still in orbit collide and form smaller fragments that are difficult to track.

“Satellites are vital to the health of our people, to the economy, to safety and to the Earth itself. However, an expert calling for a space debris deal and head of the Cornwall Space Port said, “However, using space to benefit people and the planet is at risk. This is stated in Melissa Quinn’s statement. “Humanity must take responsibility for its behavior in space now, not later. I urge all leaders to take note, acknowledge the importance of this next step, and take collective responsibility.”

It is estimated that there may be more than 100 trillion untracked ancient satellites currently orbiting the planet. This poses a great risk to other satellites. Satellites perform hundreds of collision avoidance maneuvers each year to avoid collisions that would not only damage or even destroy functioning satellites, but also create more space debris.

natural history museum The UK explains that this space debris currently poses no threat to space exploration, but recent events have provided vivid examples of how quickly a dangerous situation for astronauts can unfold.

In October 2022, the International Space Station (ISS) was forced to take evasive action to avoid a piece of space debris from a Russian satellite destroyed in 2021 by a widely condemned anti-satellite missile test. In November 2021, astronauts on the ISS had to take shelter in transport spacecraft when the space station uncomfortably passed near space debris. And just this week, the ISS had to fire up its engines to get out of the way of an Earth-viewing satellite.

In the call for agreement, scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, along with researchers from the University of Plymouth, the Arribada Initiative, the University of Texas at Austin, the Cal Institute of Technology, the Cornwall Space Center and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), were all highlighted. The urgent need for a global consensus on how to manage Earth’s orbit.

Scientists, including experts in satellite technology and ocean microplastics, say a satellite sustainability agreement should give satellite users and manufacturers responsibility for debris from the moment it is launched. When considering ways to promote accountability, experts say factors such as business costs should be considered.

This means that the proposed move is in line with a recent United Nations (UN) agreement on tackling plastic pollution in the seas, adopted by 200 countries called the Global Plastics Consensus. The agreement took 20 years to implement, and scientists are itching to avoid the same delay in solving the space debris problem.

One of the scientists who advocated the signing of the agreement was Plymouth University researcher Dr. Imogen Knepper.

“The problem of plastic pollution and many other issues facing our oceans is now catching the attention of the world. However, joint action has been limited and implementation has been slow. “We are in a similar situation right now with the accumulation of space debris,” said Knepper. we can avoid making mistakes and avoid the tragedy of coexisting in space together. We could have been on a similar path without a global agreement.”