OUTER SPACE SUBCOMMITTEE FOCUSES ON SPACE DEBRIS AND UNISPACE III WORLD CONFERENCE AT VIENNA MEETING FROM 22 TO 26 FEBRUARY

1 March 1999

Press Release
OS/1745

OUTER SPACE SUBCOMMITTEE FOCUSES ON SPACE DEBRIS AND UNISPACE III WORLD CONFERENCE AT VIENNA MEETING FROM 22 TO 26 FEBRUARY

19990301 Adopts Report on Space Debris Reviews UNISPACE III Report and Space Applications Programme

VIENNA, 1 March (UN Information Service) -- Scientific findings about potentially dangerous debris in outer space as well as the upcoming UNISPACE III global conference were the two major agenda items of a Vienna meeting which brought together the delegates of 61 nations from 22 to 26 February.

The meeting -- the thirty-sixth session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space -- adopted a report summing up a three-year effort to describe and measure the space debris environment, estimate its risk of collision with spacecraft and record efforts to minimize new debris.

According to the report, ground-based optical and radar surveillance systems around the world have catalogued more than 8,500 objects falling under the heading of space debris -- retired or defunct satellites and fragments or small particles of various man-made origins. The number of these in-orbit objects has been rising at a relatively linear rate for the past several decades, it notes.

Most of this debris poses little risk to the approximately 600 active spacecraft now orbiting the earth, but as the inventory of these discarded objects continues to grow, the danger of potentially damaging collisions will increase, the report says.

The report notes that some measures to reduce the debris have already been successfully introduced, such as limiting space mission debris, preventing accidental explosions or transferring spacecraft into disposal orbits at the end of their active life. For some satellites on long lifetime orbits, a transfer to shorter ones is planned at the end of their active life. These procedures would limit the density of objects at altitudes most highly populated at present.

Many space organizations have become aware of the potential threats of space debris, the report says. Some have begun to cut debris generation and share their findings with the international community. Organizations such as the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IACD), whose members include virtually all nations with launching capabilities as well as those designing and building most space systems, and the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) have contributed positively to space debris research and education.

The meeting also reviewed the draft report to be presented at the upcoming UNISPACE III world conference in Vienna from 19 to 30 July. The report updates developments in space technology since a previous Vienna event in 1982 (UNISPACE II) as well as ways the international community could cooperate in using these techniques to help solve global problems, including land degradation, desertification, global warming, air quality problems, predicting natural disasters, such as landslides and forest fires, and distance education.

The report looks at how the existing capabilities of member countries -- especially developing nations -- could be boosted in using the results of space research for economic and cultural development. Using the input of several regional preparatory conferences held over the past several months, UNISPACE III is expected to come up with some realistic recommendations on promoting and using space techniques as well as a concrete plan of action to put these into effect, which will be summarized in a Vienna Declaration at the end of the conference.

The Subcommittee, acting as the Advisory Committee for the conference, finalized several other organizational details for UNISPACE III, including allocating committee chairmanships. Delegates agreed that the two conference committees would be chaired by Germany and Japan and a technical forum by Austria.

The meeting also reviewed work under the United Nations Programme of Space Applications for 1998 and 1999 as well as upcoming events for 2000. This programme aims to develop local skills, especially in developing nations, in space technology and spread the benefits of this science, so they can be used in various social and economic development projects.

UNISPACE III

The General Assembly agreed in December 1997 that UNISPACE III should be held in Vienna from 19 to 30 July 1999 as a special session of the Committee, open to all 185 Member States of the United Nations. Two previous global conferences on space took place in Vienna in 1968 and 1982.

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In addition to promoting the use of space technology to solve a variety of global problems, the conference is intended as a forum to boost international cooperation in space technology and its uses as well as increase public awareness of its benefits. It will also serve as an opportunity to critically evaluate space activities.

The conference is also slated to include the following activities:

-- A Technical Forum with about 40 seminars, workshops and discussion round tables on such subjects as astronomy, international space law, health and education;

-- A space exhibition showcasing global achievements in space technology, with rocket displays and multi-media demonstrations as well as a business opportunities forum (open to the public from 21 to 23 July -- for more information, please contact the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, tel: 1-703-264-7535);

-- A Space Generation Forum for university, graduate students and young professionals, giving them a chance to air their views on crucial space activities for the next century.

Space Debris

The need for a firm scientific and technical basis for future action on orbital debris, along with preventing further pollution and reducing collision risks, was formally recognized by the Outer Space Committee in 1994. The Subcommittee was mandated to review the problem under the framework of a multi-year assessment plan. The current session hopes to finalize a report based on input from three previous sessions in 1996, 1997 and 1998.

Membership

The Subcommittee is made up of the following 61 members from the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba*, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia*, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru*, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea*, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam and Yugoslavia.

(*Peru and Malaysia rotate every two years with Cuba and the Republic of Korea). * *** *