Space Junk: Risks and International Laws
Description
Description: Space debris, or space junk, poses threats to space activities. Learn about international laws and guidelines governing space junk management and liability for potential damages.
Space Junk: Risks and International Laws
A large object found on the shores of western Australia a couple of weeks ago has been confirmed to be the debris of an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) rocket ISRO has agreed with the assessment, saying the debris could be from one of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rockets.
What is space junk?
Space junk, also known as space debris, refers to man-made objects in Earth's orbit that no longer serve any functional purpose. This debris is composed of defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, fragments from spacecraft collisions, and other discarded objects from human space activities. As more objects are launched into space, the amount of space debris increases, posing potential risks to active satellites, spacecraft, and even astronauts.
Laws governing space junk
Laws and regulations related to space junk and debris management are crucial to ensure the safe and sustainable use of outer space. Some of the key international laws and guidelines include:
• United Nations Outer Space Treaty (1967): This treaty is one of the fundamental international agreements governing space activities. It establishes the principle that outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation and should be used for peaceful purposes. Article IX of the treaty encourages parties to avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies.
• Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC): The IADC is an international organization that promotes cooperation and coordination among space agencies in the field of space debris. It works to establish guidelines for the mitigation of space debris and conducts studies to better understand and address the debris issue.
• Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines: Several space agencies and organizations have issued guidelines for space debris mitigation. These guidelines aim to minimize the creation of new debris and reduce the risk of collisions. They include measures such as ensuring spacecraft are designed to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up at the end of their operational life, as well as selecting orbits that minimize the risk of collisions.
• Kessler Syndrome: Proposed by NASA scientist Donald J. Kessler, the Kessler Syndrome refers to a theoretical scenario where the density of space debris becomes so high that collisions between objects generate even more debris, leading to a cascading effect and making certain orbits unusable. This concept highlights the importance of debris mitigation efforts.
• National Space Laws and Regulations: Many countries have their own space laws and regulations that govern space activities and address space debris. These laws often align with international agreements and guidelines to ensure responsible space operations.
• Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects: The Liability Convention deals mainly with damage caused by space objects to other space assets, but it also applies to damage caused by falling objects on earth. The Convention makes the launching country “absolutely liable” to pay compensation for any damage caused by its space object on the earth or to a flight in air. The country where the junk falls can stake a claim for compensation if it has been damaged by the falling object.
In the current case, if the PSLV junk had caused any damage in Australia, India could have been liable to pay compensation, even if the object fell into the ocean and was then swept to the shores. The amount of compensation is to be decided “in accordance with international law and the principles of justice and equity”.
This provision of the Convention has resulted in compensation payment only once so far — when Canada sought damages from the then Soviet Union, for a satellite with radioactive substance that fell into an uninhabited region in its northern territory in 1978. The Soviet Union is reported to have paid 3 million Canadian dollars.
