Space Traffic Management and Orbital Debris

The Space Traffic Management and Orbital Debris workstream is working on addressing key challenges through best practice recommendations, new frameworks and collaborations.

Space debris and potential orbital collisions present considerable risk and are the primary areas of concern for actors operating in space today. There are currently over 1 million pieces of orbital debris that are 1 cm or larger traveling at over 25,000 kph in Earth orbits. Any one of these fragments of debris poses a particular risk to the thousands of satellites that are now operating in the Lower Earth Orbit (LEO), and which provide crucial benefits to life on Earth. Tens of thousands of additional satellites are being planned for in the coming years and so the threat of collisions between active satellites as well as between these and debris will continue to increase without additional best practices, standards and regulatory frameworks. Recognition of the importance and following of already existing guidelines by all actors needs to be also recognized.

The Space Traffic Management and Orbital Debris workstream, brings together leading industry actors as well as other relevant experts to drive ambitious and progressive best practices for a more responsible, sustainable and safe orbital environment.

For further information please contact Nikolai Khlystov, Lead, Space at the World Economic Forum nikolai.khlystov@weforum.org.