Delivering Missions and Capabilities
The UK Space Agency's Head of Space Exploration, Libby Jackson, shares her thoughts on why the upcoming launch of the Boeing Starliner capsule is so important and what it means for the future of the space sector.
Space debris prompts questions about how well we look after our environment, and what we can do to be better custodians in the future. Although advanced technical societies have come to increasingly rely on space based infrastructure, they have, so far, failed to meaningfully address the scale of accruing orbital debris. Only very recently has the awareness of space debris as a severe risk to both space and Earth infrastructures increased within the space community.
Minimising the impact of space debris is crucial to preserve infrastructure that supports day-to-day activities and life on Earth and in space.
The UK is pioneering a path to make satellite operations in Earth orbit sustainable in order to help mitigate damage from orbiting space debris.