As we embark on a new era of space exploration and discovery it is imperative that we consider

the impact of our actions on the environment beyond our planet. The reality is humans have created a
significant amount of rocket debris and space pollution since the beginning of space exploration and if
we want to continue achieving great milestones in space, we must be more responsible in managing this
issue.

Recent data from NASA has shown that there are more than twenty thousand pieces of debris
larger than a tennis ball currently in orbit around Earth and more than a hundred million pieces larger
than 1 millimetre. Although some of these pieces are small, they are traveling extremely fast – at up to
thirty thousand kilometres per hour. This results in even tiny flakes of paint being able to damage
spacecraft which means that this debris poses a serious threat to the safety of current and future space
missions as it can collide with satellites and manned spacecraft which could cause damage and potential
harm to human life.

In fact the amount of space debris around Earth at this moment is so large already that satellites
have to spend fuel manoeuvring to avoid colliding with the debris. Furthermore, space agencies have to
spend additional resources on safety mechanisms designed for avoiding these collisions. It is estimated
that approximately ten percent of a satellite’s mission budget is spent just on avoiding space debris
which is making space travel more and more expensive as the amount of space debris increases.

Moreover, the accumulation of space debris not only poses a threat to current missions but also
has long-term implications on the sustainability of space exploration. The accumulation of debris in orbit
around Earth could eventually lead to a chain reaction of collisions known as ‘Kessler syndrome’ where
the products of one collision lead to another collision which leads to another collision and so on and so
forth creating an even greater amount of debris making it exponentially more difficult and expensive to
conduct further space missions.

To address this issue, it is necessary for governments and private companies to work together to
implement responsible practises of managing space debris. This includes the use of advanced tracking
and collision avoidance technologies as well as the development of new space debris removal methods.

In addition to these technical solutions, it is also important for the international community to
adopt legal measures that regulate the generation and disposal of space debris. This is where you and I
come in. We can pressure our government by voting and protesting and showing that we truly care
about this issue. Then the government can go on and participate in the establishment of international
standards and guidelines and ultimately the creation of a legal framework that holds those who are
responsible for the creation of space debris accountable. As an example, Latvia does not have any space
agencies of its own, but it is an associate of the European Space agency which plays a much greater role
in global legislation. By going up these chains of command we as individuals play a very important role in
making sure that space agencies all around the world are accountable for their actions.

In short, the responsibility of managing space debris and preventing space pollution falls on all of
us. If we want to make great progress in space exploration and ensure its sustainability for future
generations, it is essential that we act now to mitigate the impact of our actions. Let us work together to
protect the environment beyond our planet and secure the future of space exploration.