ESA to gather experts to discuss space debris

The 9th European Conference on Space Debris, organised by the European Space Agency (ESA) and supported by the German Space Agency, will get underway on April 1. Top European experts from ESA, national agencies and academia will share new updates on the space debris problem.

“Our satellite-dependent society needs to find answers to the growing risks of space debris because they threaten vital satellite services, such as telecommunications and navigation, as well as crucial data collection in space on Earth and its climate,” ESA says. “The levels of pollution and congestion in space require bold action, with more than 1.1 million pieces of debris larger than 1 cm already hurtling around Earth.”

ESA has organised the European Conference on Space Debris every four years since 1993. During this 9th edition, leading experts will discuss the current debris situation in space, technologies for debris detection and tracking, systems to avoid collisions, international collaboration, technologies to prevent and mitigate any further debris, and how to clean up what’s already up there.

ESA will also premiere a short new documentary film ‘Space Debris: Is it a Crisis?’ that gives a summary of the problem of space debris and answers some of the questions that surround the topic.