Rajashree. K. Subi Priya. L

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1 SPACE DEBRIS AND ITS IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT Rajashree. K Asst. Professor, M.S. Ramaiah College of Law, Bengaluru Subi Priya. L B.A. LL.B. (Hons.), M.S. Ramaiah College of Law, Bengaluru The year 1957 is historically important; it is with the phenomenal launch of the first artificial satellite of Earth Sputnik 1. On October 4, by the Soviet Union that embarked mankind on a never ending journey into the outer space. For the past 60 years, this ambitious journey of space faring nations in the exploration of the outer space has tremendously increased. With new entrants into this field every year, there has been a vehement upsurge in the outer space activities. The latest estimates states that a total of about 7511 satellites launched till date has resulted in an orbit space debris population of nearly 29,000 traceable objects with sizes more than 10 cm. With this number going up, the current debris in space has become a major peril to the operational satellites and to the environment. This article explores the concept of mitigation of space debris in the light of the emerging issues related to space activities and its impact on the environment. The history of the growing menace of space debris and its impact on the environment is also highlighted. This article also examines various international commitments towards mitigation of space debris. Keywords: Space Debris, Debris Mitigation Measures, Space Environment, Space Laws. INTRODUCTION We seem to exist in a hazardous time, Driftin' along here through space; Nobody knows just when we began, or how far we've gone in the race. Benjamin Franklin King, Jr. Newton's law of universal gravitation states that any two bodies in the universe attract each other with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. The reasoning given by Newton for propounding this theory is that "what goes up must come down. This dictum forms the basis of the Law of Gravity and has become a statutory requirement with regard to old satellites, spent rocket stages and other fragments from disintegration, erosion, and collisions of satellites. 1 THE WORLD JOURNAL ON JURISTIC POLITY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

2 The exploration of space began less than 60 years ago with the launching of the first space vehicle, Sputnik I on October 4, 1957 by the Soviet Union. This marked the beginning of both, the exploration and the exploitation of space. Since then, the activities in space have proliferated dramatically resulting in generation of more than million pounds of space debris. Space debris is the accumulation of non-functional man-made objects in the orbit around the earth which ceases to serve any useful function. The historical launch of Sputnik 1 had set an empirical baseline for global space activities, however with the successful launch of the second satellite by the United States, vanguard 1 1 which was placed into the orbit in 1958 flagged the real issue of space debris. Although Vanguard 1 no longer communicates, it is the oldest artificial satellite which still continues on its voyage, orbiting the earth followed by its successors (Vanguard 2 and Vanguard 3). Such satellites which no longer serve its purpose are considered as space debris. Hence, began the miserable journey of space activities and the history of space pollution. With an average of nearly satellites being launched every year the number of defunct satellites orbiting the earth and other obsolete objects in the orbit has burgeoned in an alarming rate. The accumulating debris in the space has become a prominent issue due to its potential to cause catastrophic impairments to other functional satellites by way of collision. The damage caused by space debris is not only confined to outer space but also extends to the ground, when any object makes a successful atmospheric re-entry. With the problem of the orbital debris getting worse, the space environment is in dire need of an effective mitigation measure. Space debris, being a global issue, requires international cooperation pursuant to which, the United Nation has formed various organizations and committees such as UNOOSA (United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs), United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) that work for the prevention and mitigation of the problem of space debris and for developing technical solutions for clearing space junk. However, the functionality and efficacy of these existing international and domestic legal frameworks in curbing space litter requires to be analysed. With space environment getting congested due to the mounting debris population has raised concerns over its impact on future space activities. Thus, it is the responsibility of every nation to protect and preserve the space environment and make it safe for its exploration and peaceful use by the present as well as the future generation. The activities of the space must be sustainable keeping in mind the long term repercussions and its impact on the environment. MEANING OF SPACE DEBRIS 1 Sarah Loff, Vanguard-satellite-1958, NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION, (Oct. 20, 2016, 9:42 p.m.) 2 NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (U.S.). COMMITTEE ON SPACE DEBRIS, ORBITAL DEBRIS: A TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT, National Academy Press Washington D.C 1995, THE WORLD JOURNAL ON JURISTIC POLITY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

3 The term space debris does not have a unanimously accepted legal definition. It is generally used to describe the collection of unwanted objects in the earth s orbit which is either man-made or natural. One of the most frustrating issues of space debris is the lack of a universally accepted definition. There are various definitions for the term space debris. Thus, in an effort to bring a common understanding on the concept of space debris, the Technical Report on Space Debris, 1999 by the UNCOPUOS 3 gave a detailed definition of space debris as follows: Space debris are all manmade objects, including their fragments and parts, whether their owners can be identified or not, in Earth orbit or re-entering the dense layers of the atmosphere that are non-functional with no reasonable expectation of their being able to assume or resume their intended functions or any other functions for which they are or can be authorized. Space debris which is also known as orbital debris, space junk, and space waste, is the collection of defunct objects in the orbit around Earth. The phrase space debris is generally described as a blanket term for any man-made artefact discarded, or accidentally produced, in space, either in orbit around a planetary body (when it is also known as orbital debris) or on a trajectory between planetary bodies. 4 However, there is still no consensus on this definition. Similarly, the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines 5 and the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines Committee of Peaceful uses of Outer Space 6 defined space debris as All man-made objects, including fragments and elements thereof, in the earth orbit or re- entering the atmosphere, that are non-functional. Form the above definitions it can be perceived that functionality of an object is one of the criteria for categorizing an object as space debris. Thus, any object in space the moment they cease to perform their intended function, will find its way into the catalog of space debris. Orbital debris can be anything from a decommissioned satellite, active payloads, and rocket bodies to a paint chip or any object accidently dropped by astronauts. The first step towards remediation process would be a legally binding definition for it. TYPES OR SOURCES OF SPACE DEBRIS 3 Technical Report on Space Debris, UN, New York 1999, 2, INTER-AGENCY SPACE DEBRIS COORDINATION COMMITTEE, (Oct. 20, 2016, 10:02 p.m) 4 MARK WILLIAMSON, SPACE: THE FRAGILE FRONTIER 46 (2006). 5 IADC Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines IADC Revision 1 Sep. 1, 2007 INTER AGENCY SPACE DEBRIS COORDINATION COMMITTEE (Oct. 25, 2016, 10:50 p.m.) 6 Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR OUTER SPACE AFFAIRS (Oct. 25,2016, 10:55 p.m) 3 THE WORLD JOURNAL ON JURISTIC POLITY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

4 Space debris originates from a variety of sources. Nearly one-half of all debris is composed of fragments created by explosion, hypervelocity impact, or deterioration of the surfaces of active and inactive payloads. The remaining debris is composed of inactive payloads, spent rocket thrusters, and other materials produced by the operation of spacecraft. The years of human venture into the outer space has contributed to the current debris population in the earth s orbit. Space debris comprises of both natural and artificial particles. The natural debris emanates from comets, asteroids and meteoroids that pass the earth. Artificial debris, technically referred to as orbital debris originates from a number of sources such as: a. Satellites which are no longer operational or have run out of fuel or have malfunctioned and are no longer able to manoeuvre; b. any object or component part that was launched or released into space during normal operations such as discarded rocket upper stage that remains in orbit after launching a satellite; c. Fragmentation of rockets and launch vehicle stages due to events such as explosions or collisions on the earth s orbit d. Micro particulate matter created due to gradual disintegration of the surfaces on a satellite due to exposure to the space environment. This can lead to degradation in the optical, thermal and structural integrity of surfaces and coating with subsequent shedding of materials into the space. Every spacecraft, satellite, space probe or similar space activities has the prospective of creating space debris. However, the major source of space debris can be categorized as follows 7 : 1. Mission Related Objects: Mission related objects are space objects released during a mission operation such launching of a satellite they are further classified into a. Objects released by design which includes operational debris (fasteners, covers, wires), objects released for experiments (needles, balls etc.), Tethers designed to be cut after experiment. b. Unintentionally released objects - which includes fragments caused by material degradation due to continuous exposure to solar heating and solar radiations (flakes of paints and blankets derived from degradation), Space tether systems (Space tethers are long cables used for the purpose of propulsion, stabilization and altitude control, momentum exchange, and for maintaining the relative position of a component of a 7 Support to the IADC Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines, INTER- AGENCY SPACE DEBRIS COORDINATION COMMITTEE (Oct. 28, 2016 (8 : 48 PM)) ADC-04-06, Rev 5.5 May., THE WORLD JOURNAL ON JURISTIC POLITY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

5 large dispersed satellite) 8 cut by debris, Objects released before retrieval to ensure safety and liquids with high density (leaked from the nuclear power system, etc.), particles ejected from solid motors (motor casings, aluminum oxide exhaust particles, nozzle slag etc.). They also include objects or equipment s lost by astronauts while working in outer space. 2. On Orbit-Break Ups: On Orbit Break-Ups refers to those events that produce fragments into the earth s orbit. There are various types of on orbit break ups such as: a. Intentional destruction - like destruction for scientific or military experiments (including self-destruction, intentional collision etc.), destruction prior to re-entry events in order to minimize ground casualty and destruction to ensure security of onboard devices and contained data b. Accidental break ups- which includes explosion caused by failure during mission operation and explosion caused by command destruct systems, residual propellants, batteries etc. after mission termination. c. On orbit collision which includes fragments caused by collision with catalogues objects and fragments caused by collision with un-catalogued objects. 3. Mission Terminated Space Systems: One of the prominent sources of space pollution is non-functional or decommissioned satellites that continue to orbit the earth. The Online Index of Objects Launched into Outer Space records of UNCOPUOS states that a total of 7511 space objects have being launched till date of which only 3083 are in orbit, 1612 have decayed and 184 have been deorbited, which are regarded as space debris 9. SPACE DEBRIS A SNOWBALLING THREAT Threat to other space activities: Ever since the beginning of the space race, the space environment has been degrading at a steady pace. The most prominent threat posed by space debris is the risk of collision or damage to other operational and active satellites. With the number of space objects increasing at an exorbitant rate, the risk of collision and explosion has also increased. Each satellite collision will produce some fragments of debris; each fragment increases the potential of a further collision with another satellite, creating more debris and thus leading 8 The Fifth International Conference on Tethers in Space 2016, TETHERS IN SPACE 2016 (Oct. 28, :51 PM) 9 Online Index of Objects Launched into Outer Space, UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR OUTER SPACE AFFAIRS, (Dec. 30, 2016, 3:33 p.m) 5 THE WORLD JOURNAL ON JURISTIC POLITY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

6 to an exponential increase of objects around the orbit (cascade effect). This is known as the Kessler effect 10, a theory proposed by Donald Kessler in Space debris comes in all size ranging from a defunct satellite weighting several tons to paint flaks that are less than 1mm in diameter which makes it very difficult to be tracked. The U.S Space Surveillance Network (SSN) is a system developed by the Joint Functional Component Command for Space (JSOC), part of the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM). The Space Surveillance Network uses ground-based Radars, sensors and electro optical telescopes to detect; track and identify artificial space objects in earth orbit and maintains a catalogue of the space objects. Since 1957, SSN has tracked and maintained a catalogue of more than 29,000 objects of sizes larger than 10 cm, 670,000 for sizes larger than 1 cm and more than 170 million for sizes larger than 1 mm 11. The quantum of risk produced by space debris is proportionate to their size and the velocity at which they travel. In the Low Earth Orbit, debris travels at an orbital speed of approximately 7.5 kilometres per second. Thus space debris can be categorized based on their size as follows: a. Category 1 (<1cm) An impact from objects less than 1cm are capable of causing significant damage to spacecraft. This category also includes objects within size of 3mm- 1mm. These objects very difficult to be tracked; it is estimated that there are more than 170 million debris measuring less than 1 cm in the LEO region. They include objects such as aluminum oxide particles or paint chips etc. Though they might not destroy a satellite but can damage to them or interfere with the functioning of the satellite if they hit any important component of the satellite. b. Category II (1-10 cm)- Objects less than 10 cm can be tracked by SSN but the accuracy level depends upon their size and composition. Such objects have the potential to cause catastrophic damage to an operational satellite. Impact from an object of 5 cm is equivalent of being hit by speeding truck. Space debris larger than 1 cm can cause potential damage if they hit c. Category III (>10 cm) Objects larger than 10 cm can be easily tracked and cataloged by the SSN. Owing to their large size, an impact from such object can completely destroy a satellite. Debris of such size can lead to events such as on orbit break-ups or debris related conjunction, etc. 10 DONALD J. KESSLER,,& BURTON G. COUR-PALAIS, "Collision Frequency of Artificial Satellites: The Creation of a Debris belt", JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. (1978). 11 Clean space: How many space debris objects are currently in orbit?, EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY (Oct.30,2016,5:08p.m) _Space/How_many_space_debris_objects_are_currently_in_orbit. 6 THE WORLD JOURNAL ON JURISTIC POLITY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

7 BRIEF HISTORY OF EVENTS OF ON ORBIT BREAKUP 1. On 29 June 1961, the Able-star upper stage launched Transit 4A spacecraft of the U.S. However, immediately after the launch the Able-star exploded, becoming the first artificial object to unintentionally explode in space. The event created at least 294 pieces of traceable debris in the Low Earth orbit On 22 February 1986, an ESA Ariane 1 launch vehicle carried the French SPOT 1 commercial remote sensing satellite. This was the 16th flight (V16) of an Ariane rocket. On this date the third stage separated violently into fragments over east Africa, producing a debris cloud of nearly 500 pieces of traceable objects On 4 June 1996, The Hydrazine Auxiliary Propulsion System (HAPS) monopropellant fourth stage of the winged Pegasus XL launch vehicle used to place STEP II satellite into orbit on May 18 ruptures at an altitude of 625 km. Although the stage is roughly the size of an oil drum and had a dry mass of only 97 kg, the explosion produced more than 700 debris objects traceable by the SSN. 4. On 16 September 1997, Russia intentionally explodes a military reconnaissance satellite Cosmos 2343 (launched May 15, 1997, is the latest in a series of satellites designed to be destroyed at end-of-life) in LEO for the first time in 4 years at an altitude of 230 km. The SSN characterizes orbits of 32 debris objects within 48 hours of the explosion On 11 January 2007, China successfully tested its Anti Satellite System (ASAT) on its own 750-kilogram (1,653 lb) weather satellite, Fengyun-1C. Two months after the deliberate fragmentation, more than 1200 debris had been officially cataloged by the U.S. Space Surveillance Network (SSN) On February , The Defence Meteorological Satellite Program Flight 13 (DMSP-F13), U.S Air force weather satellite which was launched in 1995, suffered an on orbit break up due to an explosion of one of the Nickel-cadmium batteries of the satellite preceded by a sudden temperature spike in the satellite s power system. 12 DAVID S. F. PORTREE & JOSEPH P. LOFTUS, Jr. "Orbital Debris: A Chronology". NASA JSC. 1999, Nov. 1, 2016, At NICHOLAS L. JOHNSON, PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THE FRAGMENTATION OF THE SPOT 1 ARIANE THIRD STAGE, , Joseph P. Loftus, jr., editor, Orbital Debris from Upper-Stage Breakup, (1989). 14 DAVID S. F. PORTREE & JOSEPH P. LOFTUS, Jr. "Orbital Debris: A Chronology". NASA JSC. 1999, Nov. 1, 2016, at Chinese Anti-satellite Test Creates Most Severe Orbital Debris Cloud in History, ORBITAL DEBRIS QUARTERLY NEWS,11, Issue 2, April., 2007, (Nov. 4, 2016, 9:48PM) 7 THE WORLD JOURNAL ON JURISTIC POLITY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

8 Initially, 43 debris were catalogued but the total number of liberated debris rose to 160 in the months that followed. 7. On 18 July 2016, The World View 2 commercial Earth observation satellite, owned and operated by Digital Globe of Longmont, Colorado, USA, experienced a fragmentation event. The satellite was reported to be functional at the time of the event. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF SPACE DEBRIS: RE-ENTRY HAZARDS The growing litter on the earth s orbit not only poses a threat to other space activities but also has its impact on the ground when the objects re-enter the earth s atmosphere. The famous re-entry events of Skylab in 1979 and the Cosmos 954 drew worldwide attention on the risk involved when space objects re-enter the earth. Most of the space activities take part in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), an orbit around the earth that extends from the surface level to an altitude of km. The LEO is mainly used for launching weather satellites, scientific and communication satellites and it is the home for satellites such as the International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, and the Space shuttle. Satellites in this circular orbit travel at an orbital velocity of around 7.8 km per second. At this speed, a satellite takes approximately ninety minutes to circle the Earth 16. Owing to the close proximity to the earth, the LEO is the common destination for most of the space activities and as a result the orbit is highly populated with orbital debris. Objects in the LEO frequently encounter atmospheric drag, a drag produced by atmosphere due to the collision of space objects with surrounding air molecules. Due to the high atmospheric drag at the LEO, it can reduce the orbital velocity of a satellite orbiting at a low altitude causing it to de-orbit or the increased heat can eventually cause the satellite to burn or break apart. One of the advantages of LEO is that most of the space debris experience orbital decay due to its atmospheric drag. However, not all satellites burn during a reentry, some satellite or its component parts do survive the re-entry heating and impacts the ground. Over the last Sixty years it is estimated that, more than 5,400 metric tons of materials have survived reentry. The possibility of a person being hit and injured by space debris is estimated to be one in million. 17 Till date, there has been only one such incident reported, where a women in Tulsa, Oklahoma was hit by a debris form Delta II stage during its reentry event on With the mounting space debris and the frequent re-entry events, the fatalities caused by re-entry events would no longer be a mere possibility. Fortunately, the number of causalities recorded to have caused by falling debris is fewer yet with the 16 Launchers: Types of Orbit, EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY,(Nov.3,2016, 4:26p.m.) 17 Spacecraft reentry basics, AEROSPACE, (Nov. 4, :34 p.m) 8 THE WORLD JOURNAL ON JURISTIC POLITY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

9 increasing re-entry events such as the Russian Mir Space station, which weighted 120,000 kg. BRIEF HISTORY ON FAMOUS RE-ENTRY EVENTS 1. On September 18, 1977, The Soviet Union launched Cosmos 954, a Radar Ocean Reconnaissance Satellite (RORSAT) which operated in the Low Earth Orbit. Cosmos 954 malfunctioned and reentered with its reactor still attached on January 24, The Soviets announced that the reactor contained about 30 kg of enriched uranium. Cosmos 954 broke apart over the Great Slave Lake, in northwestern Canada, and sprayed a region 800 km long with radioactive debris. 2. On July 11, 1979 the Skylab Orbital Workshop (the unmanned launch of the Orbital Workshop is officially designated Skylab 1) launched by the U.S in May 14, 1976, lost control and reentered over the Atlantic Ocean. The 80,000-kg Skylab rained pieces of debris that weighed nearly 20,000 kg On January , an upper stage propellant tank of the Delta II rocket that launched the MSX satellite on April 24, 1996, survives reentry to impact outside Georgetown, Texas. The large object, the main propellant tank made of stainless steel with a mass of more than 250 kg, landed near Georgetown, Texas, while the smaller, 30 kg titanium sphere used for helium pressurant was found further downrange near Seguin, Texas. An additional, very small and light-weight fragment reportedly struck a woman while landing near Tulsa, Oklahoma On March 23, 2001 Mir, the Russian Space Station made a controlled reentry over south pacific. The Soviet Union launched the Mir space station base block on February 20, 1986 with a mass of about 80 tons. It remains the largest space object to fall on earth On November 2, The spent AVUM upper stage from Europe s Vega rocket succumbed to atmospheric drag after four and a half years in orbit. It was launched on February 13, 2012 and weighed 688 kilograms. 21 LEGAL REGIME 18 W. DAVID COMPTON, & CHARLES D. BENSON, LIVING AND WORKING IN SPACE: THE NASA HISTORY OF SKYLAB, 251. (1983). 19 Nicholas Johnson, Newly Recognized 1996 breakup, 2 ORBITAL DEBRIS QUARTERLY NEWS, Issue 2 April-June, 4(1997). 20 National Aeronautics and Space Administration, WorldView 2 Spacecraft Fragments in July issue 2, ORBITAL DEBRIS QUARTERLY NEWS Volume 2, Issue 2, April.,2001. at Re- Entry: AVUM Rocket Body, SPACEFLIGHT101 (Nov. 5, :47 p.m) 9 THE WORLD JOURNAL ON JURISTIC POLITY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

10 India is at the cusp of space technology and gaining momentum in the international scientific community. Legal issues are pertinent in every aspect of the life span of space activity. This raises the question of India s legislative framework concerning the protection of the Outer space as well as the applicability of the International space legal regime. The United Nations has formulated Treaties, Conventions and Agreements for the protection of the outer space and India is a signatory to all the space treaties which imposes a mandate on the state to fulfill its International obligations under Article 51 of the Indian Constitution Outer Space Treaty, 1967 The 1967 Outer Space Treaty concerns principles governing the activities of the state in the exploration and the use of Outer Space, including the moon and other celestial objects. The Outer space Treaty is the most widely accepted treaty which regulates and supervises the national activities to confine to scientific development, 23 peaceful utilization of the space 24 and liability in case of damage. 25 The Treaty mandates the state parties to be guided by principles of cooperation and mutual assistance so as to avoid harmful contamination and reduce the adverse impact on the environment by undertaking such appropriate measures The 1968 Rescue Agreement, 1968 The Treaty calls for rendering all possible assistance to astronauts in the event of exigencies as well as the return of objects launched in Outer Space. The Agreement gives a detailed resolution under Article 5, to the contracting parties with regard to discovery, retrieval and disposal of material which is either hazardous or deleterious in nature in order to eliminate all potential threat or danger to the Human environment. 3. Convention on International Liability for Damage caused by Space objects, 1972 The Liability for Damage Convention, 1972 provides succor and strength to the Outer Space Treaty, 1972 by imposing liability on the launching state 27 for damage caused by space objects and provide for fair and equitable compensation to victims of such damage. The Convention imposes liability both jointly as well as severally, in case of joint operation 28 and details the methodology involved in claiming such compensation. 4. Convention on Registration of Objects launched into Outer Space, Imposes an obligation on the state for promotion of International peace and security, including maintaining just and reasonable relations with nations, respect for international law and treaty obligation and settlement of international disputes through Arbitration. 23 Article I of the Outer Space Treaty. 24 Article IV of the Outer Space Treaty. 25 Article VII of the Outer Space Treaty. 26 Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty. 27 A state which launches or procures the launching a space object. 28 Article V, 1972 Liability Convention. 10 THE WORLD JOURNAL ON JURISTIC POLITY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

11 The United Nations designed the Convention with the purpose of bringing in accountability and international responsibility into the activities of the launching states. The Convention lays down procedures for damages caused by launching states by making provision for national registration of the objects launched into space. 29 The Convention imposes a liability on the countries that have been alleged to have caused third party damage and also provides for seeking compensation from the violating party. 5. Agreement Governing the Activities of the States on Moon and other Celestial Bodies, 1979 Recent trends in the scientific community have witnessed a sudden surge of activities in the lower orbit of the earth which led to the enactment of the Moon Treaty. The Moon Treaty casts an impending duty on the state parties to take measures to prevent the disruption of the existing balance in the environment through contamination Inter- Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) The Inter- Agency Space debris coordination committee is an international governmental forum for worldwide coordination of activities related to issues of man-made and natural debris in space. IADC exchanges information on research activities undertaken by various nations and also to provide for opportunities to conduct research on space debris and undertake mitigation measures through mutual cooperation. The steering Committee comprises of four specific groups. 31 CONCLUSION Space Technology is well developed and emerging in various areas of electronics, communication, and optical and remote sensing data utilization. The connected legal issues range from telecommunication, launch services, broadcasting, Intellectual Property Rights, satellite navigational issues and transfer of technology. But there seems to be no fair treatment by the international space community or the National space legislation either to track and identify space debris nor deal with the post clean-up operation i.e. retrieval mechanism. In order to understand and address the threat of space debris requires both scientific perspective as well as a legal approach. The future of space operations needs an active debris removal scientific mechanism thereby ensuring protection and conservation of the environment. A holistic and a comprehensive policy framework comprising of procedures and guidelines for mitigating the impact of space debris needs to be formulated for implementation of the scientific plan by the international community. One needs to outline 29 Article II V, Registration Convention, 1974 contains procedures for registration of space objects. 30 Article 7 of the Moon Treaty, WG-1 on Measurements, WG-2 on Environment and Database, WG-3 on Protection and WG-3 on Mitigation. 11 THE WORLD JOURNAL ON JURISTIC POLITY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

12 a path for limiting future risks and evolve a strategic plan that eventually determines future space operations in a way that preserves the environment. 32 The intent of the states should lean towards being made absolutely liable and undertake sustainable activities as far as space environment is concerned. 32 Donald Kessler, Chair, National Research Council, THE WORLD JOURNAL ON JURISTIC POLITY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.