Aerospace: More Questions Than Answers For Milspace Norms breakingdefense.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from breakingdefense.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Is a space-related objective missing from the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015? This question was put to a.
Advertisement
April 12 marked the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s first human space flight in 1961. It also became an occasion for fresh appeals for maintaining the sanctity of outer space. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, delivering a special message on the occasion, said, “We support the start of negotiations on the development of an international legally binding instrument prohibiting the deployment of any types of weapons [in space], as well as the use of force or threat of force.” Echoing similar sentiments, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian said earlier in the week, “we are calling on the international community to start negotiations and reach agreement on arms control in order to ensure space safety as soon as possible.” Lijian added that “China has always been in favor of preventing an arms race in space, it has been actively promoting negotiations on a legally binding agreement on space arms control jointly with Russia.”�
10 February 2021
What is this series about?
Space debris is an issue of global concern that threatens our continued use of near-Earth space for the benefit of humankind. To raise awareness about this growing problem, ESA and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) have created a series of nine infographics and podcasts that tell the story of space debris, explain the risks and illustrate the solutions available to ensure future space exploration remains sustainable.
Scroll down to see the infographics and listen to the podcasts.
A limited natural resource
Space may seem vast, but the orbits around Earth in which satellites reside are a limited natural resource. Accidental collisions, explosions and even the intentional destruction of satellites have created millions of debris fragments, which, orbiting at high speed, can damage or destroy any functioning spacecraft that crosses their path.
UN and UK sign agreement to promote space sustainability
International efforts to protect future space activity have been given a boost thanks to a new partnership between the UN and the UK government
From: Credit: ESA
The agreement will help nations ensure that outer space remains safe and sustainable for future generations.
The increasing complexity of space missions, the emergence of large constellations of satellites and the increased risks of collision all affect the long-term sustainability of space activities. And there are currently approximately 170 million objects in orbit – mainly debris – which could collide with satellites vital to services we use every day.