The rise in satellites and space debris threatens low Earth orbit. Experts urge global cooperation on data sharing and regulation to prevent collisions, safeguard technology, and ensure sustainable use of space. Urgent action is needed to address this growing challenge.
The rapid growth in satellites and space debris risks rendering low Earth orbit (LEO) unusable without international cooperation and data sharing, experts have warned. United Nations panel on space traffic coordination recently called for urgent action, proposing a global database of orbital objects and a framework for their management.
Currently, over 14,000 satellites, including 3,500 inactive ones, and 120 million pieces of debris orbit Earth, according to Slingshot Aerospace. Only a fraction of this debris is trackable, and collisions are becoming increasingly likely.
Panel co-chair Aarti Holla-Maini, of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, stressed the need for shared information among operators to ensure space safety and prevent disruptions to vital global technologies.
Despite this urgency, a centralised system for all space-faring nations is lacking. Geopolitical tensions, security concerns, and commercial secrecy hinder progress.
Meanwhile, incidents like a Chinese rocket stage explosion in August and a defunct Russian satellite explosion in June have added thousands of debris fragments to LEO, intensifying the problem.
LEO, critical for commercial space activities due to its cost efficiency, is now congested. Starlink alone had over 6,700 satellites in orbit by November and performed 50,000 collision-avoidance manoeuvres in the first half of 2024, double the previous period. NorthStar Earth & Space estimates collision-related financial risks could reach $556 million over five years without effective regulations.
Global rules akin to those governing air traffic are seen as essential. Existing tools such as radars, telescopes, and databases can track objects, but geopolitical tensions and commercial sensitivities remain barriers. Current informal methods, reliant on data from bodies like the U.S. Space Force, lack consistency and accountability.
UN-led efforts aim to outline steps for international coordination and will present recommendations next year. “Speed and trust are the biggest challenges,” said Holla-Maini. “But global cooperation is essential to safeguard the future of outer space.”
U.S. President Donald Trump has said a peace agreement with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday in a post on social media, despite Tehran's Fore...
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 13 June, covering the latest developments you need to know....
As the 2026 World Cup kicked off on 11 June across North America, U.S. visa restrictions and travel policies have made it impossible for supporters, ...
Every June, roughly 13 million young people in China sit down at the same time to take the same test. They have been preparing for it, in many cases, ...
European museums are increasingly returning cultural artefacts to countries in Africa and the Middle East, as pressure grows to address the legacy of ...
The four astronauts aboard Artemis II briefly lost contact with Earth while flying behind the Moon, then regained it during a dramatic lunar far-side flyby.
Uzbekistan has outlined plans to select its first astronaut and launch two Earth observation satellites, as it steps up efforts to build a national space programme and strengthen its scientific and technological capacity.
New modelling suggests Mars shapes some of Earth’s long-term orbital rhythms, including shorter eccentricity cycles and a 2.4-million-year pattern that vanishes without its gravitational pull.
A SpaceX capsule carrying a four-member crew home from orbit in an emergency return to earth necessitated by an undisclosed serious medical condition afflicting one of the astronauts splashed down safely early on Thursday (15 January) in the Pacific Ocean off California.
SpaceX has made history with the largest initial public offering ever in the United States, pricing its shares at $135 each and achieving a market valuation of $1.77 trillion.
SpaceX made a historic entrance into the Nasdaq on Friday, surging over 20% in its first day of trading and lifting its valuation to more than $2 trillion. Investors flocked to the world’s largest IPO, betting on Elon Musk’s sprawling empire spanning rockets, AI and beyond.
Pakistan has warned that any attempt by India to block or significantly reduce river flows under the Indus Waters Treaty could have “far-reaching consequences”, after India's water minister said New Delhi was working to ensure that “not a single drop” of water reaches Pakistan in the coming years.
Armenia has every right to choose Europe. But Europe’s support for Armenia’s direction should not become automatic approval of its political process.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said a peace agreement with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday in a post on social media, despite Tehran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei saying no deal would be approved this weekend.
Every June, roughly 13 million young people in China sit down at the same time to take the same test. They have been preparing for it, in many cases, since primary school. Their families have rearranged their lives around it.
European museums are increasingly returning cultural artefacts to countries in Africa and the Middle East, as pressure grows to address the legacy of colonialism and disputed ownership.
Uganda’s health ministry has raised concerns over what it described as unfair travel restrictions imposed during the current Ebola outbreak, warning that such measures risk undermining transparent reporting. .
Georgia is overhauling its migration laws in one of the most significant legal reforms in years, introducing criminal penalties for fake marriages, tighter controls on foreign students and expanded investigative powers for the migration authorities.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 13 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment