Context

Recently, Twelve nations have signed the Zero Debris Charter at the ESA/EU Space Council to make space activities debris neutral by 2030.

About Zero Debris Charter

• The Zero Debris Charter is written by and for the global space community with the aim of shaping the global consensus on space sustainability.
• The Zero Debris Charter is a world-leading effort to become debris neutral in space by 2030 
• It was unveiled at the ESA Space Summit in Seville meeting in November 2023.
• It emphasizes gathering a wide and varied array of space entities to define ambitious and measurable space debris mitigation and remediation targets.
• Country Involved : Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and the United Kingdom have all pledged to adhere to the charter.
  • In addition to the 12 countries, the European Space Agency also signed the Zero Debris Charter as an International Organisation (IGO).
• Significance: It will solidify their commitment to the long-term sustainability of human activities in Earth orbit.

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What is Space Debris? 

Space debris is defined as all non-functional, artificial objects, including fragments and elements thereof, in Earth orbit or re-entering into Earth’s atmosphere. 

• Space debris tracked by radar and optical detectors.
• Human-made space debris dominates over the natural meteoroid environment.
• Space Debris ESA estimates that there are currently more than one million pieces of space debris larger than one cm in Earth orbit. 
  • Each of these objects is capable of causing catastrophic damage to space assets. 
• Risk due to Space Debris : If quick and decisive action is not taken to improve the sustainability of space activities,exponential growth of this debris population will pose an ever-increasing hazard to satellites and astronauts and could render some orbits entirely unusable.

India’s Efforts to mitigate Space Debris

• Debris-Free Space Missions (DFSM) by 2030 : The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is committed to ensuring that all future space missions are designed to be debris-free by 2030.
  • This initiative involves incorporating technologies and practices that minimize the generation of new space debris. 
• System for Safe & Sustainable Space Operations Management (IS4OM) : It aims to enhance the safety and sustainability of space operations. 
  • This system improves the tracking, monitoring, and management of space objects to ensure safer space activities. 
• Project NETRA (NEtwork for Space Object TRacking and Analysis) : Project NETRA is ISRO’s space situational awareness initiative focused on tracking and analyzing space objects. 
  • It provides critical data for collision avoidance and debris mitigation, contributing significantly to space safety efforts.
• Space Situational Awareness Control Centre (SSACC): ISRO has set up a SSACC to protect its high-value assets from close approaches and collisions with inactive satellites, pieces of orbiting objects, and even near-earth asteroids.
• Zero Debris Milestone : Recently, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) attained a significant milestone in space debris reduction, stating that its PSLV-C58/XPoSat mission left Zero debris in Earth’s orbit

International Efforts to Mitigate Zero Debris

• Currently there are no specific international laws addressing debris in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), most space-faring nations adhere to Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines 2002, endorsed by the United Nations in 2007. 
• Efforts by Various Space Agencies: 
  • USA: NASA Orbital debris program since 1979. 
  • Japan: Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration (CRD2) and 
  • China: Debris Removal through spacecraft with solar sails. 

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