Why is it in the news?

• The annual meeting of Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC)
• India aims to achieve debris-free space missions by 2030, indicating a commitment to mitigating space debris.

About Space Debris

• Space debris refers to non-functional, artificial objects in Earth’s orbit or re-entering Earth’s atmosphere.

Need for Mitigating Space Debris:

• Debris collisions can disable operational spacecraft, causing damage to components like optics and solar panels.
• Uncontrolled debris growth can lead to an escalating cascade of collisions, known as the Kessler syndrome.
• Large space debris re-entering the atmosphere can pose risks to the population on the ground.

Initiatives by ISRO:

• ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operations Management (IS4OM) provides efficient information on on-orbit collision and fragmentation.
• Project NETRA (Network for Space Objects Tracking and Analysis) establishes a space surveillance and tracking network with RADARS and Optical Telescopes.

Global Initiatives:

• RE-MOVEDEBRIS: Performs key active debris removal (ADR) technology demonstrations.
• UN Liability Convention (1972) and UN Registration Convention (1976) are the international agreements addressing liability for space object damage and registration of launched objects.