SST 4: The UN Working Group on the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities

Recording of the Space Sustainability Talk from 05 July 2021 with the title:
The UN-COPOUS Working Group on the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities - Challenges and Opportunities.

The proliferation of space debris and the increased probability of collisions and interference raise concerns about the long-term sustainability of space activities, particularly in the low-Earth orbit and geostationary orbit environments. During recent years the number of satellites launched to space increased by orders of magnitude in particular due to costs reductions enabled by miniaturization and rideshare launch opportunities, as well as due to the deployment of so-called megaconstellations by private actors. At international level the UN-COPUOS Working Group on the long-term sustainability of outer space activities identifies and studies these challenges with the view of raising awareness and building capacity, sharing experience, and considering new guidelines.