NEWS – The Zero Debris Charter, focusing on space sustainability, was signed by twelve nations and the European Space Agency (ESA) at the ESA Space Summit in Seville meeting in November 2023.

HIGHLIGHTS

• ESA’s commitment aligns with its Zero Debris approach, aiming to achieve debris neutrality in space by 2030.
• Signatory Countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom have pledged to uphold the Zero Debris Charter.
• This collective commitment emphasizes Europe’s leadership in clean space efforts.

Objectives of the Zero Debris Charter:

• The Charter aims to mitigate and remediate space debris to ensure the long-term sustainability of human activities in Earth orbit.
• More than 100 organizations worldwide plan to sign the Charter in the near future, indicating broad support for its goals.

Impact and Importance:

• ESA’s Space Safety Program Coordinator highlights the Charter’s significance in promoting collective action and sustainability in space.
• The Charter’s adoption by major spacefaring nations underscores its potential to significantly impact space debris management globally.

ESA’s Role and Initiatives:

• ESA’s Zero Debris approach integrates space debris mitigation into its missions, striving for a debris-neutral environment by 2030.
• The agency’s efforts extend to facilitating community-driven initiatives like the Zero Debris Charter, uniting diverse stakeholders in addressing space debris challenges.