World Economic Forum Report: Space Industry Debris Mitigation Recommendations
Excerpt:
Coordination and sustainable behaviour by stakeholders in the space industry is necessary for achieving a safe, inclusive and beneficial space environment for life on Earth. Through these recommendations, we advance the targets that we believe all space actors should collectively adhere to and promote. We believe this type of responsible behaviour is now critical to drive productivity in space while maintaining a high standard of sustainability and safety in the entire orbital region.
The challenge
Human-made space debris, lack of collision avoidance mechanisms, and insufficient coordination and data sharing between operators are just a few of the many factors that pose a threat to the evolving orbital regime and hence the entire space sector. Forecasts show that the space economy could reach $1 trillion per year by the next decade. However, in order to sustain this growth and enable a healthy environment in space and on Earth, it is critical that we address the growing risks associated with orbital debris and ensure an environment that will continue to encourage and support the tremendous innovation in space.
Space is critical for our modern way of life – internet connectivity, global positioning, financial transactions and satellite imagery are just a few examples of the ubiquitous applications of space technology. It is also an important tool for environmental monitoring, which is of vital necessity now more than ever, and we therefore need to protect this domain for the benefit of all humankind.
The solution
International regulatory frameworks relating to sustainability in space are generally voluntary and are mostly used as a reference point for space actors actively seeking to adhere to the latest standards of recommended behaviour in space.
Examples of these include, but are not limited to, the Inter- Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee’s Guidelines (2019 and its supplements), the United Nations Guidelines for the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities and the ISO 24113:2023. More recently, private actors have led the charge in the development of some candidate best practices to support the long-term sustainability of the space environment, recognizing the need for well-understood operational norms, safety standards and responsible behaviours that allow all operators to prosper. The goal of these Space Industry Debris Mitigation Recommendations is to complement existing best practices and recommendations to set an ambitious but realistic target for behaviour in orbit by a group of progressive industry actors who are focused on sustainable development of the sector. Discrepancies with existing or suggested practices stem from this document’s focus on targets for behaviour and goals to which the community should aspire. These recommendations will also help support the creation of a level playing field in the sector, which all industry actors regard as a necessary condition for its continued development.
As signatories to this document, we believe in setting ambitious yet sensible best practices to mitigate the risks posed to the orbital regime, particularly in the Low Earth Orbit. There is a need to identify and refrain from activity that negatively impacts the Earth’s orbits in the short and long term; we must take better care of our space assets, particularly when they approach the end of life and need to be responsibly disposed of. We must better communicate and share data about our missions to ensure transparency in operations, and finally, there is a need for Active Debris Removal (ADR) solutions to address the population of larger debris already in orbit.
We therefore commit to working with governments, civil society, commercial partners and industry peers to substantially reduce any unsustainable activity, such as new debris creation. We also call for new collaborations for transparency between operators.
The development of technologies and practices for each mission is a crucial step in the direction of sustainability and growth, specifically regarding mission disposal at end of life, for removing existing debris already in orbit, and more. More sustainable practices such as these will also help create new business opportunities and develop entire markets. These are necessary steps in ensuring more responsible operations in space, which we all share. We encourage entities across the space sector to join us in this mission, to work together to inform and support the creation of practical regulations for the sustainable use of space.
The following recommendations have been carefully and thoughtfully assembled through various in-depth discussions with space actors:
