Earth’s orbits are filling up because governance hasn’t kept pace, Pg2

Key Highlights:

• Earth's orbits are increasingly crowded and fragile due to a lack of effective governance, not just engineering issues.
• The gap between promised space sustainability and actual implementation is widening with more frequent launches and private actors.
• Orbital harm is difficult to govern due to challenges in tracking debris and assigning responsibility for damage.
• Existing international treaties are outdated and do not address cumulative harm or stewardship of Earth's orbits.
• India has an opportunity to embed orbital responsibility in its national space legislation and licensing regime.

Detailed Insights:

Ethical Space Governance

Key Concepts Involved:

• Space Sustainability: Maintaining a safe and accessible orbital environment for current and future generations.
• Orbital Debris: Non-functional, human-made objects in orbit that pose a collision risk to operational spacecraft.
• Space Situational Awareness: The ability to track and monitor objects in space to predict and avoid potential collisions.