Zero Debris Charter (ZDC)

Zero Debris Charter (ZDC)

Twelve countries and European Space Agency (ESA) signed the Zero Debris Charter (ZDC)

  • Established in – 2004 under the framework agreement between ESA and European Union (EU).
  • Objective – To make space debris-neutral by 2030.
  • Signatories – Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and United Kingdom. 
  • All non-functional, man-made objects in Earth orbit or re-entering into Earth atmosphere. 
  • Includes decommissioned satellites, spent rocket bodies, fragments from spacecraft breakups or collisions, debris from anti-satellite weapon tests, etc. 
  • Concerns –
    • Collisions with operational satellites disrupt navigation and communications systems on Earth.
    • Kessler syndrome – Uncontrolled growth of debris can lead to an escalating cascade of collisions.
    • Large space debris that re-enter the atmosphere uncontrollably creates risk to the population on the ground.
  • Initiatives for Space Debris Mitigation –
    • India –
      • Debris Free Space Missions (DFSM) by 2030 being implemented by ISRO System for Safe & Sustainable Space Operations Management (IS4OM).
      • Project NETRA (NEtwork for space object TRacking and Analysis) for Space situational awareness.  

Source: ESA


Previous Year Question

The term ‘Goldilocks Zone’ is often seen in the news in the context of:

[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2015 Prelims]

(a) the limits of habitable zone above the surface of the Earth
(b) regions inside the Earth-like planets in outer space
(c) search for the Earth-like planets in outer space
(d) search for meteorites containing precious metal

Answer: (c)


Practice Question

Consider the following statements:

  1. It refers to all non-functional, man-made objects in Earth orbit or objects re-entering into Earth atmosphere.
  2. India’s Project NETRA aims to address the issue of space debris, focusing on Space situational awareness.

Which of the statements is/are correct?

 
 
 
 

Question 1 of 1

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