At the initiative of French Senator André Gattolin, around forty French and foreign parliamentarians signed a platform to warn about orbital pollution caused by space debris. An issue discussed in mid-November at the Paris Peace Forum, and which burst into the news after the destruction of one of its satellites by Russia on November 15, using a shot from missile. The increase in the number of activities conducted in outer space could make it, in the worst case, “inaccessible to humanity”, these elected officials of all stripes, from 15 different countries are alarmed. They express themselves here freely.
On November 12, 2021, on the occasion of the fourth edition of the Paris Peace Forum, actors from all over the world, concerned by the rapid deterioration of the Earth’s orbital environment, launched the “Net Zero Space” initiative, which calls for ensuring the sustainable use of outer space by 2030 by adopting urgent measures to reduce the number of space debris.
We welcome this multi-stakeholder initiative and support its ambition to bring together both space sector stakeholders and all political forces, with the aim of protecting the long-term sustainability of outer space.
Given that the space market is set to generate more than $ 1 trillion by 2040 (according to Morgan Stanley bank), or even by 2030 (according to Bank of America), we must not forget the costly consequences. that would have an economic development which would not be sustainable and an uncontrolled pollution. Beyond strategic capacities, everyday technologies such as telecommunications, satellite guidance, but also financial transactions, or even the capacities of the cloud, depend on space infrastructures and are increasingly threatened by the increase in the number of space debris. The development of future technologies with important social benefits but dependent on the viability of outer space, such as the production of solar energy in orbit, would also be greatly slowed down, if not prevented, due to excessive pollution of the orbital environment.
The increase in the number of activities carried out in outer space makes the problem of reducing the number of space debris even more pressing. There are approximately 29,600 objects in orbit under surveillance, and many more that no one on Earth can monitor. If Earth orbits were to become less practicable, the rising costs of launching and operating space technologies would, at best, have a significant crowding-out effect both internationally and among various national players. . In the worst case, it would simply make outer space inaccessible to humanity.
The protection of the Earth’s orbital environment is an essential element for the sustainable development of the space market, for the protection of existing and future space infrastructures, but also for the equal access of all actors throughout the world to the benefits of orbits. terrestrial. Each of us on Earth is a user of space technologies: we therefore believe that it is high time to mobilize political resources to address this urgent challenge, both nationally and internationally, before ‘it’s not too late.
We look forward to soon being able to cooperate with the “Net Zero Space” coalition in order to develop concrete actions aimed at making the Earth’s orbital environment safer and encouraging the sustainable use of space by 2030.
The petitioners :
At the initiative of André Gattolin, senator, France
Pierre Cabaré – deputy, France
Olivier Cadic – senator, France
Samuel Cogolati – deputy, Belgium
Titus Corlățean – senator, Romania
Damien Cottier – deputy, Switzerland
Yves Détraigne – senator, France
Jacques Fernique – senator, France
Pavel Fischer – senator, Czech Republic
Eric Forest – senator, Canada
Laura Garavini – senator, Italy
Amina Gerba – Senator, Canada
Vlad gheorghe – MEP, Romania
Olga Givernet – MP, France
Fabien Gouttefarde – deputy, France
Christophe Grudler – MEP, France
Roger haddad – deputy, Sweden
Davor Ivo Stier – MP, Croatia
Hanna kosonen – MP, Finland
Sujeet kumar – MP, India
Bastien Lachaud – deputy, France
Jean-Luc Lagleize – deputy, France
Christine Lavarde – senator, France
Jean-Paul Lecoq – deputy, France
Carmen Martinez – MP, Spain
Jean-Luc Mélenchon – deputy, France
Niklas Nienaß – MEP, Germany
Aurel Oprinoiu – senator, Romania
Francois Patriat – senator, France
Ion-Dragos Popescu – senator, Romania
Natalia Pouzyreff – MP, France
Nik Prebil – deputy, Slovenia
Sophie primas – senator, France
Roberto Rampi – senator, Italy
Jean-Francois Rapin – senator, France
Dovilė Šakalienė – MP, Lithuania
Patricia schillinger – senator, France
Nicolae Ştefănuță – MEP, Romania
Massimo Ungaro – deputy, Italy