Manifesto for a Safe and Sustainable Outer Space

T. Sgobba; A.-P. Menzel; R. Jakhu; J. Pelton (2009), JBIS, 62, 241-245

Refcode: 2009.62.241

Abstract:
The human adventure in space is now more than a half century old. A total of about 6000 liftoffs have taken place and some 500 people have flown into space, but in the process a number of fatalities have occurred–both in space and on the ground. Furthermore, space traffic is becoming chaotic and the orbital environment is increasingly polluted by debris. The Technical Committees of the IAASS have spent a great deal of time to develop a “Manifesto” to express the goals and objectives that all space faring countries should collectively embrace to ensure that in future the space adventure will not be brought to a sudden halt by unacceptable risks. This newly launched “Manifesto for Safe and Sustainable Outer Space”, as presented at the end of this article encapsulates the urgent appeal, by concerned space safety scientists, technicians, and legal experts that make up the IAASS, to policy makers and stakeholders around the globe to build consensus around a shared vision of a safe and sustainable space. Over time this Manifesto may be refined and augmented but the six objectives of the Manifesto represent a good starting point for an overdue debate on organizing outer space as a precious global asset.