About Zero Debris Charter:
- It is an initiative of the European Space Agency (ESA) unveiled at the ESA Space Summit in Seville meeting in November 2023.
- The Charter comes after ESA Member States encouraged the agency to implement “a Zero Debris approach for its missions and to encourage partners and other actors to pursue similar paths”.
- It is the first initiative of its kind to bring together the largest array and variety of space actors around the world with the joint goal of creating no more debris by 2030 and making possible the long-term sustainability of space activities.
- It aims to combine far-reaching guiding principles and highly ambitious yet realistic technical targets on which to build an ambitious Zero Debris roadmap, driving global space debris mitigation and remediation efforts.
- The charter is a non-legally binding agreement, but it fosters a community of proactive actors working collectively towards jointly defined targets for 2030.
The charter sets out a number of targets, including that a mission’s probability of generating space debris should remain below 1 in 1,000 per object.
- It also sets a target of 99% success for post-mission disposal, including through external means when necessary. It encourages transparent information sharing and space traffic coordination.
- To implement the Charter, the ESA will focus on developing ground-breaking technologies for satellite end-of-life disposal, in-orbit servicing and active debris removal.
- In addition, ESA will work hand-in-hand with institutions in charge of regulatory aspects.
