UN Space Office Says Orbital Debris Among Top Pressing Challenges For Int'l Community

Space debris, piling up on Earth's orbit as the number of satellites increases, is on top of the challenges faced by the international community in space, Niklas Hedman, the chief of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs's (UNOOSA) Committee for Policy and Legal Affairs, said in an interview with Sputnik

ABU DHABI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th January, 2020) Space debris, piling up on Earth's orbit as the number of satellites increases, is on top of the challenges faced by the international community in space, Niklas Hedman, the chief of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs's (UNOOSA) Committee for Policy and Legal Affairs, said in an interview with Sputnik.

"The common challenge to the space community is space debris. Space debris is the challenge. There is a connection between the amount of satellites in orbit and the probability of creation of space debris. We also have to be mindful, when we are sending out satellites, that governments really have a policy or a regulatory framework in place or at least they are aware that universities are building up satellites and sending satellites," Hedman said on the sidelines of the World Future Energy Summit, currently held in Abu Dhabi.

The global community should address the issues pertaining to debris through information exchange and reporting mechanisms, the UN official added, underlying that the "dialogue is at the core here."

In December, the European Space Agency announced its plans to launch in 2025 ClearSpace-1 satellite that would catch space debris and remove it from Earth's orbit.