{"id":38627,"date":"2025-03-06T18:45:53","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T13:15:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=38627"},"modified":"2025-03-06T20:43:15","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T15:13:15","slug":"about-space-debris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/06-03-2025\/about-space-debris","title":{"rendered":"Space Debris\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Awareness in the fields of Space<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A 500-kg metal object, believed to be space debris, crashed in Kenya, highlighting concerns about accountability and regulatory gaps in space governance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Space Debris<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It includes non-functional satellites, abandoned rocket stages, and smaller fragments from previous space missions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN-COPUOS)<\/strong> defines space debris as all man-made objects, including fragments and elements thereof, in Earth orbit or re-entering the atmosphere, that are non-functional.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>According to NASA, millions of pieces of debris orbit the Earth, ranging from tiny paint flecks to large satellite remnants.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Factors Causing Space Debris<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e8e8ea\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"610\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Factors-Causing-Space-Debris-1024x610.png\" alt=\"Factors Causing Space Debris\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-38628\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e8e8ea; width:490px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Factors-Causing-Space-Debris-1024x610.png 1024w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Factors-Causing-Space-Debris-300x179.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Factors-Causing-Space-Debris-768x457.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Factors-Causing-Space-Debris.png 1387w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Examples<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>2022: Chinese Long March 5B<\/strong> rocket fell into the <strong>Indian Ocean<\/strong>, sparking concerns about<strong> uncontrolled re-entry.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2023: Parts of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket<\/strong> were discovered on a sheep farm in Australia.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>February 2024:<\/strong> Debris from a Russian satellite disintegrated over the United States, alarming residents.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Threats from Space Debris<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"ebe9e2\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"776\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Threats-from-Space-Debris-1024x776.png\" alt=\"Threats-from-Space-Debris\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-38629\" style=\"--dominant-color: #ebe9e2; width:376px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Threats-from-Space-Debris-1024x776.png 1024w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Threats-from-Space-Debris-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Threats-from-Space-Debris-768x582.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Threats-from-Space-Debris.png 1451w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>International Laws on Space Debris Responsibility<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Outer Space Treaty (1967):<\/strong> It does not specifically address space debris, it emphasizes that nations are responsible for activities conducted in outer space, <strong>including by private entities<\/strong> under their jurisdiction.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Article VI<\/strong> of the treaty emphasizes that states bear responsibility for their space objects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Liability Convention (1972): <\/strong>It introduces the concept of <strong>\u2018absolute liability\u2019<\/strong> for damage caused by space objects on Earth.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Under this framework, launching states are automatically responsible for any harm caused by their debris, without the need to prove negligence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India&#8217;s Initiatives in Space Debris Management<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>ISRO adheres to internationally accepted space debris mitigation guidelines recommended by the <strong>UN-COPUOS<\/strong> and the <strong>Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC).<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operations Management (IS4OM):<\/strong> To focus on spaceflight safety and debris mitigation.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis (NETRA):<\/strong> For Space Situational Awareness (SSA) capacity building.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Debris-Free Space Missions (DFSM) Initiative (2024) by ISRO: <\/strong>It aims to achieve debris-free space missions by all Indian space actors, both governmental and non-governmental, <strong>by 2030<\/strong>. The initiative focuses on:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Avoiding Debris Generation;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Collision Avoidance;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Post-Mission Disposal;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges in Holding Countries Accountable<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Difficulty in Tracing Ownership:<\/strong> Identifying the exact origin of debris is challenging, especially for small fragments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bureaucratic and Political Hurdles:<\/strong> Diplomatic processes for compensation can be slow and politically sensitive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>No Penalties for Uncontrolled Re-entry:<\/strong> While the Liability Convention requires countries to pay for damages, it does not penalize them for allowing uncontrolled re-entries to happen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Mitigation and Future Solutions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>International Cooperation:<\/strong> Strengthening international cooperation like the <strong>United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS)<\/strong> and developing standardized procedures for debris removal can enhance accountability and enforcement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mandatory End-of-Life Plans:<\/strong> Space missions should include clear deorbiting strategies to minimize debris risks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Technological Innovations:<\/strong> Investing in technologies for active debris removal, such as the <strong>ADRAS-J mission by Astroscale<\/strong>, can help mitigate the risks posed by space junk.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Liability Insurance:<\/strong> Countries and private companies could be required to have insurance policies covering potential damage from space debris.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National Regulations:<\/strong> Implementing and enforcing national regulations that align with international treaties can ensure that countries take responsibility for their space activities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/science\/space-debris-crash-lack-accountability-liability-convention\/article69281563.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A 500-kg metal object, believed to be space debris, crashed in Kenya, highlighting concerns about accountability and regulatory gaps in space governance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38627"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38627\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38657,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38627\/revisions\/38657"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}