NASA scientists and other experts are calling for a legally binding treaty to manage “space junk” and protect Earth’s orbit. The space around our planet is increasingly crowded, with over 9,000 satellites in orbit today and projections that this number could rise to 75,000 by 2030.
Disused satellites and their fragments pose a threat to operational satellites and could render large areas of Earth’s orbit unusable. Estimates suggest there could be over 100 trillion pieces of old, untracked satellites orbiting the planet. While space junk doesn’t currently pose a significant threat to space exploration, recent incidents involving the International Space Station have highlighted the potential danger.
The proposed treaty would place responsibility for debris on satellite users and producers from the point of launch onwards. This approach aligns with a recent United Nations treaty addressing plastic pollution in the sea, agreed upon by 200 countries.
Key Takeaways:
- NASA scientists and other experts are advocating for a legally binding treaty to manage the increasing amount of space junk in Earth’s orbit, which could make large areas of it unusable.
- The number of satellites in orbit could reach up to 75,000 by 2030, and there are already potentially over 100 trillion pieces of untracked debris from old satellites, posing a significant risk to operational satellites.
- The proposed treaty would place responsibility for debris on satellite users and producers from the point of launch, and it is hoped that it can be implemented more quickly than a similar United Nations treaty addressing plastic pollution in the sea, which took 20 years to put into effect.
“NASA scientists and other experts have called for a legally binding treaty to ensure “space junk” caused by the burgeoning space industry doesn’t irreparably threaten activities in Earth’s orbit.”
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