Space Safety Regulations and Standards

Appendix 7 UN COPUOS Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines

Introductory Note

Ever increasing space debris poses the single most serious risk to the safety and sustainability of space operations of all nations and to human life and property on the surface of the Earth.

As early as 1982, the issue of space debris surfaced at international level during the second UN Conference on Space (UNISPACE II). After a brief discussion, the Conference recommended that: studies be undertaken to seek viable methods to minimize the probability of collision between active space objects and space debris; some of these methods could include the removal of inactive satellites from their orbits; based on such studies, appropriate regulatory measures should be taken. ...