Aarti Hola-Maini, head of the United Nations Office for Outer Space, has called on governments and industry to accelerate the development of voluntary guidelines for the sustainable use of outer space. With the increase in rocket launches and satellites, there is growing concern about the risk of dangerous collisions and the creation of space debris.
NASA estimates that about 9,000 tons of debris, including old rocket bodies, decommissioned satellites, and pieces of exploded engines, are orbiting the Earth at speeds of up to 25,000 km/h. / Photo: © Wikimedia Commons / Rrinsindika, CC BY-SA 3.0
As reported by the Financial Times in interviews with UN officials, Hola Maini emphasizes the need for multilateral processes and intensive cooperation. Implementation of the UN guidelines published in 2019 will significantly promote sustainability in space. These include suggestions for the safe handling of activities in space, debris mitigation, and improved data exchange.
NASA estimates that approximately 9,000 tons of space debris is orbiting the Earth and poses a potential hazard. According to the Space Sustainability Assessment, launch traffic in low Earth orbit is 27 times higher than it was 10 years ago.
Geopolitical tensions could complicate discussions about new legal frameworks in space. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty is considered outdated for the rapidly growing commercial space sector. Last year, the United Nations called for a new legal framework to address this challenge.
hermann ludwig moellerDirector of the European Space Policy Institute think tank“The new treaty is complex,” he said, according to the Financial Times. If you’re looking for a solution to a problem that’s getting worse by the day, I wouldn’t put this on your critical path. Guidelines alone will not solve the problem, but best practices should be promoted. The principles, which took more than a decade to draft, were seen as a breakthrough in global space management.
But they are not legally enforceable, and hundreds of private companies and more than 70 countries already have space-related projects and goals. It has been difficult for national authorities to adapt to this changing climate. The Space Generation Advisory Board, an organization that brings together 25,000 young space professionals to support multilateral organizations, recently submitted a report to the United Nations, and some governments have begun incorporating many of the guidelines into domestic law. However, he said, “Many governments have not yet introduced it.” Doing so can create potentially large gaps. ”
