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.
In 2019, the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses
of Outer Space (COPUOS), of which the UN Office for Outer
Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is Secretariat, adopted the
Guidelines for the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space
Activities (LTS guidelines), which provide a framework to
ensure the safe and sustainable use of space. The
Guidelines were subsequently welcomed by the United Nations
General Assembly.
Following today’s announcement, UK funding of £85,000 will
support international efforts to promote space
sustainability by identifying examples of the sustainable
use of outer space through a series of events and outreach
efforts. This project will also inform future UNOOSA
capacity-building efforts to promote the future
sustainability of outer space, and it will encourage all
actors to implement the LTS guidelines to the fullest
extent possible.
Science Minister said:
As the Earth’s orbit becomes congested with potentially
hazardous debris, it’s critical that we work with our
international partners to secure the continued safety and
sustainability of space.
I am therefore delighted the UK is partnering with the UN
to implement and promote these vital standards to all
emerging and established space-faring nations, helping to
ensure that outer space remains open for our next
generation of astronauts.
This partnership with the UK Space Agency is the first time
the UK has funded a project with UNOOSA. It will enable the
UN to raise global awareness on this important issue and
foster the global governance of outer space based on
international law.
It is also the first project to be funded from the
international element of the UK Space Agency’s National
Space Innovation Programme, launched in October 2020 to
support collaborative projects between UK organisations and
international partners.
UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo said:
Global investment, and dependency, on space activities
are increasing rapidly. It is essential the international
community comes together to make the long-term
sustainability of space activities a reality. The LTS
Guidelines are a landmark expression of global consensus
and effective multilateralism on this crucial subject.
UNOOSA is working to put sustainability at the heart of
global space operations. This project, generously funded
by our UK partners, will help us ‘connect the dots’;
converting the successes of multilateral policy-making
into practice, and help deliver the predictability the
global space economy needs to ensure its sustained growth
in the years to come.
