A Sustainable Development Goal for space?

(Press-News.org) Scientists have called for the designation of a new United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) with the aim to conserve and sustainably use Earth's orbit, and prevent the accumulation of space junk.

There are currently 17 SDGs, adopted by UN members in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet for future generations, and ensure all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

But with growing numbers of satellites and other objects now orbiting our planet, there is growing concern that without some form of global consensus another of Earth’s once pristine environments is at risk of being irrevocably changed.

Writing in the journal One Earth, an international collaboration of experts – in fields including satellite technology and ocean plastic pollution – have proposed an 18th SDG dedicated to the protection of Earth’s orbit.

The study highlights that there are now around 100 nations involved in varying levels of space activity, and that since the 1950s, almost 20,000 satellites have been launched into Earth’s orbit.

These satellites bring immense benefits to society, from monitoring ecosystems and supporting global communications, to facilitating services used by billions of people across the planet such as satellite television and contactless bank card payments.

However, once they reach the end of their useful life, the experts say abandoned satellites, launch stages, and fragments resulting from explosions or collisions can accumulate as orbital debris. This raises the chance of collisions with active satellites, which would not only impact their ability to function but would also result in further increases in debris.

While a number of organisations have begun to recognise the need for action to address this, the authors say an additional SDG could deliver the global consensus and mechanisms for effective enforcement required to address the issue.

They believe a new SDG18 could draw direct inspiration from one of the existing goals – SDG14: Life Below Water – with lessons learned in marine debris management being used to prevent another planetary crisis before it is too late.

They also highlight that it would complement the existing SDGs, which include references to space technology for its ability to support improved understanding of global issues but not its potential to represent a future issue itself.

The article was co-authored by researchers from the University of Plymouth, PBL Works, Arribada Initiative, University of Auckland, The University of Texas at Austin, Anturus Ltd, University of Maine, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Spaceport Cornwall, Slingshot Aerospace Ltd, and ZSL (Zoological Society of London).

It builds on an article published in Science in March 2023, in which a number of the same scientists called for a legally-binding treaty to ensure that Earth’s orbit isn’t irreparably harmed by the future expansion of the global space industry.

Dr Imogen Napper, Research Fellow at the University of Plymouth, led the new study with funding from the National Geographical Society. She said: “The need to protect and connect our natural environments, from the ocean to Earth’s orbit, has never been more urgent. Both are vital to the health of our planet, yet increasingly under threat from the pressures we place on them. There is growing recognition that marine litter knows no international boundaries, and the same applies to space debris. A UN-backed agreement would be a crucial step in safeguarding Earth’s orbit for the future.”

Professor Heather Koldewey, ZSL’s Head of Ocean and FAIRER Conservation, said: “Just like plastic pollution and climate change, space junk is an issue that transcends borders. Our ongoing efforts to protect the ocean highlight just how important UN-backed agreements are for managing this crisis. It's key we learn from the challenges and solutions in tackling marine debris and act now to protect our planet’s orbit.”

Dr Thomas Dowling, Lecturer in Remote Sensing & Geospatial Science at The University of Auckland, said: “Not so long ago, our oceans were regarded as infinite resources to plunder and infinite sinks for our waste. We now know that view was grossly mistaken – many marine environments are now barren wastelands and more than eight million tonnes of plastic debris is estimated to enter the ocean every year. Earth’s orbit is a similar finite environment to the ocean, and mindlessly exploiting the orbital environment is repeating the mistakes of the past. It’s time to create policies to regulate what we’re putting in space, and we need to ensure objects entering orbit are safe, sustainable, and serving essential – or at least important – purposes for significant numbers of people around the world.”

Melissa Quinn, General Manager of the International Business Unit at Slingshot Aerospace, added: "The proposed 18th Sustainable Development Goal is a crucial step toward protecting Earth’s orbit for future generations. Space is essential to our daily lives, from global communications to understanding climate change, yet the rapid rise in satellite deployments – 2,877 in 2023 alone (~15% increase from 2022), with even more in 2024 – has led to an increasing risk of collisions and debris. In 2024, we saw a 17% year-over-year spike in the average number of close approaches in low earth orbit per satellite on Slingshot Beacon, Slingshot’s space traffic coordination application. With over 12,500 spacecraft now orbiting our planet, including more than 3,300 inactive satellites, we need urgent, coordinated global action to ensure space is safe, sustainable, and secure. This SDG offers a powerful opportunity to safeguard the benefits of space for all humanity."

END