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Space Debris: the downside of a forward leap

  • Writer: Johnson Odakkal
    Johnson Odakkal
  • Jul 11
  • 9 min read

Another Episode of “Global Canvas” by JOI

In June 2025, a SpaceX Starship test rocket exploded over South Texas, scattering debris into Mexico and damaging protected areas in Tamaulipas. In response, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador publicly threatened to sue Elon Musk’s company for environmental damage caused by falling debris. This incident is not isolated. Space activity, once celebrated as the frontier of human progress, is now colliding with politics and sovereignty disputes.

What was once seen as a limitless realm for exploration is today entangled in the geopolitics of the global commons. The skies above us are no longer neutral; they are contested, commercialized, and dangerously unregulated. As powerful countries and private corporations crowd Earth’s orbit with satellites and rocket launches, the rest of the world bears the risks. This week on Global Canvas, we examine the growing threat of space debris through the lens of global commons governance and ask: Who really owns the sky, and who pays the price when it falls?


Context and Background


Space debris refers to defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, fragments from explosions or collisions, and other man-made objects left in orbit. Primarily caused by human activities in orbit, including satellite launches, rocket deployments, and military tests, debris can form when a satellite or rocket explodes, breaks apart due to collision, or reaches the end of its operational life and is not safely deorbited. Anti-satellite missile tests and accidental crashes between spacecraft also generated large clouds of debris. 


Most debris is concentrated in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), between 200 and 2,000 kilometres above Earth, where many satellites operate. Another significant cluster exists in geostationary orbit, about 36,000 kilometres up, used for communication satellites.

But the threat doesn't stop in orbit. Space junk re-enters Earth’s atmosphere regularly, and while most of it burns up, some larger pieces survive and hit the ground.


This growing cloud of debris raises urgent questions about the governance of outer space. Originally envisioned as a ‘global commons’, space was defined as the "province of all mankind", prohibiting national appropriation of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies and envisioned as a domain to be used peacefully and equally by all. Today, the vision is under threat. Space is now increasingly dominated by a few powerful states and private actors. The lack of enforceable rules on debris mitigation and responsibility has made shared access more precarious. As low orbits fill up, the risks are borne by all, but especially by less powerful nations that lack the resources to influence space policy or respond to its fallout.

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Major Incidents


  • Kosmos 954 (1978): A Soviet satellite powered by a nuclear reactor re-entered the atmosphere and scattered radioactive material across the eastern part of Canada's Northwest Territories, the western part of what's now Nunavut and into northern Alberta and Saskatchewan. The Dené people, living near the eastern side of Great Slave Lake, were among the hardest hit and they continue to face long-term effects, including contamination of traditional territory and increased cancer rates.


  • Chinese Anti-Satellite Test (2007): China destroyed its weather satellite FY-1C using a kinetic kill vehicle launched on a modified ballistic missile. The impact, at an altitude of 865 kilometres, created over 3,000 pieces of trackable debris, making it the largest-ever space debris field. Nearly two decades later, in 2025, the International Space Station had to fire thrusters to avoid its remnants from that same event, underscoring its long-lasting impact on space safety.


  • Iridium–Kosmos Collision (2009): A defunct Russian military satellite, Kosmos 2251, collided with the active U.S. commercial satellite Iridium 33 at an altitude of about 790 kilometres. The crash was the first-ever accidental satellite collision in orbit, and the event highlighted the growing risk of uncontrolled objects in space and remains one of the largest space debris incidents to date.


  • Russian Anti-Satellite Test (2021): Russia conducted an anti-satellite test by destroying one of its satellites, Cosmos 1408, using a direct-ascent missile. The test created over 1,500 pieces of trackable debris in LEO, posing a significant threat to operational satellites and the International Space Station. The debris cloud forced ISS crew members to take emergency shelter, drawing international criticism for the irresponsible use of ASAT weapons and their long-term risk to space safety.


  • Long March 5B (November 2022): A Chinese Long March 5B rocket made an uncontrolled re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, prompting France, Spain, and Monaco to temporarily close sections of their airspace as a precaution. Though China’s space agency later confirmed the rocket fell over the Sulu Sea in the Pacific, the precautionary airspace closures delayed 645 flights and caused air traffic congestion in neighbouring countries.


  • Falcon 9 debris in Poland (February 2025): A piece of debris from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage survived re-entry and crashed into a warehouse in Komorniki, Poland. The impact caused structural damage but no injuries. This rare ground strike reignited discussions around uncontrolled re-entries, risk management in commercial space operations, and the need for better international tracking and debris mitigation systems.


  • Kosmos 482 (May 2025): A Soviet-era Venus probe launched in 1972 re-entered Earth’s atmosphere uncontrollably and reportedly crashed into the Indian Ocean. The spacecraft had remained in orbit for over 50 years, and its re-entry raised concerns about the risks of aging, defunct satellites left in space.


These incidents are just the visible edge of a much larger orbital problem. They highlight the growing unpredictability of space debris. While most fragments burn up during re-entry, larger components such as satellite parts and rocket stages can survive the descent and pose risks both in space and on the ground.


Key Players and Stakeholders


1) National Space Agencies. National space agencies play a critical role in shaping the direction of space activity, not just through exploration and satellite deployment, but also in setting standards for responsible conduct in orbit. These agencies manage satellite constellations, space stations, and scientific missions, which place them at the centre of both debris creation and mitigation. Agencies like NASA (United States), ESA (Europe), ISRO (India), CNSA (China), and Roscosmos (Russia) are among the most active in both operational and policy efforts related to space debris. NASA operates the world’s most advanced orbital debris tracking system through its Orbital Debris Program Office, providing critical data for collision avoidance and risk assessment. ESA, on the other hand, has introduced the “Zero Debris Charter”, aimed at ensuring future missions leave no waste in orbit by 2030.


2) Private Companies. Private space companies have become major players in the modern space landscape, with firms like SpaceX, Blue Origin, OneWeb, and Virgin Galactic launching thousands of satellites into orbit. Their growing presence brings innovation, lower launch costs, and expanded access to space, but also new challenges in managing space traffic and debris. SpaceX, for example, operates the world’s largest satellite constellation through Starlink and has faced scrutiny over potential collision risks and re-entry debris. While some companies follow voluntary guidelines, enforcement remains weak, and not all private actors prioritise long-term sustainability. However, some firms are contributing positively. Companies such as ClearSpace and Astroscale are developing active debris removal technologies, while others invest in propulsion systems that enable controlled deorbiting. 

Private companies are key to the future of space, but must take on shared responsibility. Their participation in global forums, adherence to debris mitigation standards, and investment in safer satellite design will determine how sustainable space remains.


3) Emerging and Non-Spacefaring Nations. Smaller or emerging spacefaring nations such as Japan, the UAE, South Korea, and Brazil are becoming increasingly significant players in shaping global space governance. These countries often rely on international cooperation and shared infrastructure, making the stability and safety of orbital space critical to their development agendas. Japan, for instance, has invested in space debris mitigation through JAXA’s active debris removal technologies, while the UAE has positioned itself as a responsible actor, advocating for peaceful and sustainable space use through forums like the UN COPUOS.


At the same time, non-spacefaring states, particularly small island nations in the Pacific or developing countries in Africa and Asia, may not launch satellites but are heavily dependent on space-based services for climate monitoring, disaster response, navigation, and communications. These states are stakeholders by consequence. As space debris grows and global commons erode, their ability to access orbital resources safely and affordably is increasingly threatened. Despite limited representation in decision-making, their interests underscore the urgent need for more inclusive, equitable global space governance.


Major Concerns and Consequences


Uncontrolled space activity and the accumulation of debris are turning outer space from once a symbol of shared progress into a contested and hazardous domain. The overcrowding of key orbits, paired with weak global regulations, undermines the idea of space as a global commons. Today, a few powerful states and corporations dominate access, sidelining emerging spacefaring nations and non-spacefaring countries that rely on satellites for vital services like communication and disaster response. As debris increases, the goal of equitable participation in space use is slipping out of reach.


In orbit, the threat of collisions even from small fragments forces costly evasive manoeuvres. On Earth, re-entering debris can damage property, harm ecosystems, or in rare cases, release hazardous materials. These risks are pushing insurers to rethink space coverage, while proposed cleanup missions remain experimental and expensive. Incidents like the SpaceX–Mexico fallout show how debris can escalate into diplomatic disputes, raising urgent questions around accountability and legal responsibility. A globally coordinated, responsible approach to space governance is more critical than ever.


Theoretically Speaking : Strategic Alignments and Power Shifts

Realism views space as an extension of geopolitical rivalry, where states and corporations act to protect national interests and strategic advantage. Debris-generating actions such as anti-satellite (ASAT) tests by China and Russia are seen as deliberate demonstrations of power and deterrence, even if they endanger orbital sustainability. From this lens, space debris is a trade-off in the pursuit of dominance. However, realism fails to account for the need for global cooperation to manage shared risks, and it sidelines the interests of less powerful nations and non-state actors affected by the fallout.


Constructivism interprets space not just as physical territory but as a socially constructed domain shaped by dominant norms and narratives. Whether space is governed as a commons or exploited as a military or commercial asset depends on who defines the rules. As leading powers and private firms shape expectations around space activity, collective responsibility often gets sidelined. While this perspective explains how global norms evolve, it may overestimate the role of shared values in a landscape increasingly driven by competition and profit.


Takeaways

Space was once seen as infinite, a place where human activity could have no lasting consequence. That illusion is gone. Today, the skies above us are cluttered, contested, and dangerously fragile. It’s a real and growing threat. If we don’t act collectively and decisively, space debris will not only choke our orbital pathways but also rain chaos onto our planet. The space race must not become a race to pollute it.


Compiled by Commodore (Dr) Johnson Odakkal (with support from Ms Vivaksha Vats) 

Stay Tuned for More!

The growing crisis of space debris is more than a technological challenge it’s a political test of how we govern our global commons. From cross-border lawsuits to contested orbits, the fallout is forcing states, corporations, and citizens to confront urgent questions of accountability, equity, and sustainability. In the end, the future of space won’t just be shaped by engineering breakthroughs, but by the collective will to act responsibly before the sky falls.


In our next episode of Global Canvas, we explore another arena where global challenges collide with political complexity. Until then, we’d love to hear your reflections.


What global shifts are keeping you up at night? Share your views in the comments or connect with us at www.johnsonodakkal.com or email  ceo@johnsonodakkal.com to stay engaged.


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