Urgent call for global space debris regulation: ESA chief's plea
There are over 40,000 pieces of space debris orbiting Earth that, in the event of a collision, could cause considerable damage to satellites or space stations. We need international law to regulate these issues, urges the head of the European Space Agency, Josef Aschbacher.
“There is no international law regulating the issue of damage that space debris can cause,” said European Space Agency (ESA) Director Josef Aschbacher in an interview. He added that many countries and institutions recognize the urgent need to create global regulations regarding outer space.
The ESA chief pointed out that some space-related regulations are almost 60 years old. For example, one of the first space treaties in history, the "Outer Space Treaty of Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies" from 1967, is still in effect. It states, among other things, that outer space should be accessible to everyone and countries cannot claim any celestial bodies as their own.
“However, reality has changed significantly since that time. We have new technologies and many more satellites than in the 1960s or 70s. Thus, discussions are ongoing about updating or creating new legal acts,” stated the ESA chief.
Law versus technological progress
One of the most serious challenges today, according to the ESA chief, is space debris—fragments of old satellites and rockets that travel in orbit at speeds of up to 27,000 kilometres per hour.
"There are over 40,000 fragments in orbit that are 10 centimetres and larger. There is no international law regulating the potential damage they could cause if they hit a satellite or a space station," emphasised Aschbacher.
He noted that the European Space Agency is a pioneer in efforts to organise outer space. In 2022, ESA established the Zero Debris Charter—a voluntary regulation ensuring that satellites are deorbited after they complete their missions. Aschbacher said that so far, about 150 signatories have joined the charter—mainly from Europe, but also from New Zealand and Mexico. One of them, he pointed out, is Amazon, which is developing the Kuiper satellite constellation.
Zero debris charter
The Zero Debris Charter aims for near-Earth space to be free of debris by 2030. According to the ESA chief, this document could become a foundation for international rules governing the use of space. It was prepared by engineers, scientists, lawyers, and policy experts. Many countries recognize the necessity of quickly establishing binding regulations.
"Currently, there are mechanisms for monitoring satellites, but they are not legally regulated," he noted. "These are operational actions taken individually by operators. Since we know which satellites are in space and where they are, it is thus possible to avoid collisions through trajectory-altering manoeuvres," explained Aschbacher.
