Context:
Twelve countries and European Space Agency (ESA) signed the Zero Debris Charter (ZDC)
Zero Debris Charter:
- 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.
Space Debris:
- 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 –
- Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee – Worldwide coordination of space debris related activities.
- 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)
