Scientists call for a treaty to eliminate space junk

March 10 () –

An international team of scientists calls for a binding treaty to ensure that the future expansion of the global space industry does not irreparably damage Earth’s orbit.

In the week in which nearly 200 countries agreed a treaty to protect the High Seas After a 20-year process, experts believe that society should take advantage of the lessons learned from one part of our planet to another.

The number of satellites in orbit is projected to rise from 9,000 today to more than 60,000 by 2030, and estimates suggest that there are already more than 100 trillion untracked fragments of old satellites circling the planet, warn the scientists in an article published in Science.

Although this technology is used to provide a wide variety of social and environmental benefits, it is feared that the anticipated growth of the industry could render large parts of Earth’s orbit useless.

The international think tank on satellite technology and ocean plastic pollution says this demonstrates the urgent need for a global consensus on how best to govern Earth’s orbit.

They acknowledge that various industries and countries are beginning to focus on the sustainability of satellites, but say this should be strengthened to include any nation that plans to use Earth orbit.

Any agreement, they add, should include measures to establish the responsibility of producers and users over satellites and debris, from the moment of their launch. Business costs should also be considered when looking for ways to incentivize responsibility. These considerations are consistent with current proposals to address ocean plastic pollution as countries enter negotiations for the Global Plastics Agreement.

Experts also believe that unless immediate action is taken, large parts of our planet’s immediate environment run the risk of running the same fate as Alta Marwhere weak governance has led to overfishing, habitat destruction, deep-sea mining exploration and plastic pollution.

The article has been produced jointly by researchers from the University of Plymouth, the Arribada Initiative, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Spaceport Cornwall, in the United Kingdom, and the University of Texas, the California Institute of Technology and the Laboratory of NASA Jet Propulsion, in the United States.

Among them is the academic who led the first study on marine microplastics, also published in ‘Science’ almost 20 years agoand scientists who contributed to the commitment to develop a Global Treaty on Plastics signed by 170 world leaders at the United Nations Environment Assembly in March 2022.

Dr Imogen Napper, a researcher at the University of Plymouth, who led the study with funding from the National Geographical Society, says “the problem of plastic pollution, and many of the other challenges facing our oceans, is attracting global attention. However, collaboration has been limited and implementation slow.”

“Now we find ourselves in a similar situation with the accumulation of space debris –warns in a statement–. Given what we have learned from the high seas, we can avoid making the same mistakes and work collectively to prevent a tragedy of the commons in space. Without a global deal we could find ourselves on a similar path.”

For her part, Heather Koldewey, ZSL Marine Technical Advisor, stresses that “to address planetary issues, scientists from all disciplines need to bring together to identify and accelerate solutions“.

“As a marine biologist I never imagined writing a paper on space, but thanks to this collaborative research I have found many parallels with the challenges of solving environmental problems in the ocean,” she acknowledges. We just need to improve the incorporation of science into management and policy.”

For her part, Dr. Moriba Jah, Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, points out that “ancient traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) informs how we must assume management because our lives depend on it. I am excited to work with others to highlight the links and interconnectedness between all things. and that both marine and space debris are preventable anthropogenic damage“, he assures.

Dr. Kimberley Miner, a scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, says that, “reflecting the new UN initiative on oceans, minimizing contamination from lower-Earth orbit will allow continued space exploration, the continuity of satellites and the growth of life-changing space technology.

Along the same lines, Melissa Quinn, Director of Spaceport Cornwall, points out that “satellites are vital to the health of our people, economies, security and the Earth itself. However, the use of space for the benefit of people and the planet is in danger“.

“By comparing how we have treated our seas, we can be proactive before damaging the use of space for future generations,” he suggests. “Humanity has to take responsibility for our behaviors in space now, not later. I encourage all leaders to take note, recognize the importance of this next step and take responsibility together.”

Finally, Professor Richard Thompson OBE, Head of the International Marine Litter Research Unit at the University of Plymouth, considers that “it is very clear that much of the pollution we see today could have been avoided. We were very aware of the problem of plastic pollution a decade ago, and if we had acted then the amount of plastic in our oceans could be half of what it is today.”

“In the future we must adopt a much more proactive stance to help safeguard the future of our planet,” he warns. “There is much that can be learned from the mistakes made in our oceans that is relevant to the accumulation of debris in space. “.