[Reading Science] "Only the Ocean? Space is Also Dangerous... We Must Act Now"

International Scientists Release Joint Statement on the 9th
Urging Establishment of International Agreement on Space Debris

Recently, the United Nations (UN) agreed to sign a strong treaty to address the issue of marine debris, while claims have been raised that space is also urgent. NASA and international scientists have called for the establishment of an international agreement to reduce space debris.

Scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the University of Plymouth in the UK, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Spaceport Cornwall, the University of Texas, and the California Institute of Technology issued a statement on the 9th (local time) in the academic journal published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (EurekAlert!), urging countries worldwide to sign an international treaty to address space debris.

Currently, more than 9,000 satellites orbit the Earth, and this number is expected to increase to over 75,000 by 2030. The bigger problem is that space debris?including broken satellites, abandoned launch vehicles, and fragmented pieces?is increasing rapidly, raising the risk significantly. It is estimated that there are about 36,500 pieces of space debris larger than 10 cm, around 1 million pieces larger than 1 cm, and a staggering 330 million pieces between 1 cm and 1 mm orbiting Earth. Including very small old fragments, estimates suggest there could be over 100 trillion pieces. Space debris travels at high speeds of 70,000 km/h, making defense impossible with current technology. Even a piece the size of a fingernail can cause an explosion equivalent to a grenade upon collision. This poses a significant threat not only to artificial satellites, space probes, and space stations but also to humans.

In 1978, Donald Kessler of NASA predicted that these space debris pieces could collide repeatedly, fragmenting and increasing in number to the point where humanity might no longer be able to venture into space. Moreover, with the recent acceleration of space internet network construction, Earth's orbit is nearing saturation. As deep space exploration advances with lunar landings and base construction, space debris is now spreading beyond Earth's orbit to the Moon and Mars. In fact, the International Space Station (ISS) had to perform two avoidance maneuvers in June and October last year due to satellite debris generated by a Russian anti-satellite missile test conducted in 2021. Between 1999 and 2021, the ISS performed 29 avoidance maneuvers for satellites and space debris, with the number increasing to three times in 2020 alone.

The scientists who issued this statement urged urgent global discussions on Earth orbit management measures. They emphasized the need to establish an international space debris agreement to ensure the sustainability of satellites, assigning responsibility to satellite users and manufacturers to implement disposal measures such as mandatory atmospheric re-entry technology during satellite production and development. They also called for considering measures to subsidize costs for private satellite operators through incentives.

They particularly stressed the urgency of global discussions on Earth orbit management. Melissa Quinn, head of Spaceport Cornwall, explained, "Satellites currently play a very important role in human life, the economy, security, and the health of the Earth itself, but space usage is at risk," adding, "There is a need to act responsibly in space now, not later, and we urge all leaders to recognize the importance of the next steps and to share responsibility jointly."