A catastrophe? Space debris is once again a topic. There are more than 15 thousand tons of material launched from Earth into orbit.
The problem of space junk returned to the center of international debate, because of an incident with the Chinese capsule Shenzhou-20, which will return to Earth without a crew after one of its windows has been achieved by orbiting debris.
The episode illustrates a growing risk in an increasingly congested space environment and raises the question: Will it take a catastrophe for countries to take space debris seriously?
During routine inspections before returning to Earth, Chinese astronauts detected a crack in a capsule window.
Further analysis indicated that a fragment of space debris less than a millimeter in diameter managed to pass through the outer and inner layers of the glass.
Although tests point to a low probability of failure during atmospheric reentry, authorities considered the unacceptable risk and chose to launch a rescue mission, Shenzhou-22, to bring the astronauts to safety.
Reminds you that there are experts who have been warning for decades about the dangers of space debrisbut the problem is aggravated with the proliferation of state and private space programs.
According to the European Space Agency, there are more than 15 thousand tons of material launched from Earth into orbit. It is estimated that there are around 1.2 million fragments between 1 and 10 centimeters and 140 million particles between 1 millimeter and 1 centimeter. In low orbit, these objects move at speeds close to 7.6 km per second, enough to cause serious damage to satellites and manned spacecraft.
Each collision can also generate more debris, creating a cascading effect that is difficult to control.
The problem is worsened by lack of transparency between countriesmany of whom are reluctant to share data about objects in orbit for national security reasons.
In the case of China, the space program is supervised by the military, which reinforces geopolitical tensions and hinders international cooperation.
The main legal framework, the Outer Space Treaty of 1967is seen as outdated.
Although it has 117 signatory states, does not provide clear responsibilities on the management of space debris does not even keep up with the growth of the private sector.
Initiatives such as the Interagency Space Junk Coordination Committee promote technical cooperation, but do not have binding power.
There is proposals technological techniques to remove debris, such as harpoons, nets or laser from Earth – but most remain in fase experimental and raises doubts about sustainability and additional risks.
Furthermore, testes of anti-satellite weapons in the past, such as those carried out by China and Russia, created thousands of new fragmentsdemonstrating how isolated actions can worsen the global problem.
Experts argue that Only robust international cooperation can stop orbital pollutionincluding the obligation to deorbit satellites at the end of their useful life.
Without this, they warn, it may be necessary to lose expensive satellites — or even human lives — for the world to finally view space debris as an urgent priority.
