Space Debris: European Space Agency in Talks with SpaceX

The European Space Agency (ESA) is in discussions with SpaceX about the possibility of Elon Musk’s company joining an international charter designed to address the growing issue of space debris, as stated by ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher in an interview.

The agency, comprising 22 nations, is leading efforts to tackle the vast amounts of space junk resulting from previous missions, which pose risks to operational satellites.

Aschbacher mentioned that 110 countries or organizations have signed onto ESA’s Zero Debris charter, which seeks to eliminate the generation of new orbital debris by 2030. When asked if SpaceX, whose satellites currently account for about two-thirds of the spacecraft in low Earth orbit, had joined the initiative, Aschbacher replied, “Not yet, but we are in discussion with them. This charter is continually evolving, and we will continue to bring up these essential topics.”

Of the roughly 10,300 active satellites in orbit, about 6,300 are part of SpaceX’s rapidly growing Starlink constellation, according to the U.S. Space Force. Meanwhile, China and Amazon are launching competing constellations, with Amazon aiming to deploy over 3,000 satellites for its Kuiper constellation this decade and have already signed onto the charter.

According to Harvard astronomer Jonathan McDowell, there are currently 18,897 pieces of trackable space debris in orbit. While “space debris” and “space junk” are often used interchangeably, some differentiate between inactive payloads, rocket bodies, and the broken pieces of satellites classified as junk.

There are currently no international regulations governing space debris, but in recent years, countries and space agencies have begun formulating proposals and national regulations to address the issue. Aschbacher clarified, “We are not a regulatory body; we are a technical space agency. However, it is encouraging that we have introduced the charter, developed in collaboration with our partners and that they have signed it.”

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Missile Tests

SpaceX must comply with orbital debris regulations from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, which mandates that a Starlink satellite must deorbit, or burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere, within five years of its operational life. “I think it’s crucial for the industry to publicly commit to initiatives like this, so I’m pleased to know SpaceX is considering it,” said McDowell, referring to the charter.

In 2023, SpaceX criticized a report by the Federal Aviation Administration that warned about the risks posed to people from falling debris from satellite constellations, calling it “deeply flawed,” according to SpaceNews. While commercial constellations often capture attention, much of the rising issue of space junk is attributed to collisions and anti-satellite missile tests.

In August, a Chinese rocket body broke apart after apparently colliding with a piece of space debris, creating one of the largest debris fields in recent history.

NASA reported that two prior incidents contributed significantly to the debris increase: the destruction of the Chinese Fengyun-1C spacecraft in 2007, attributed to a Chinese missile, and an accidental collision between the U.S. and a Russian spacecraft in 2009.

Additionally, a Russian anti-satellite missile test in 2021 added at least 1,500 new debris pieces, some of which have since decayed, according to U.S. Space Command.

Both the U.S. and India have demonstrated anti-satellite missiles that have further contributed to the debris issue. The Biden administration has advocated for a moratorium on such tests, with some countries supporting it, although Russia and China have not signed on.