UN COPUOS Space Debris Guidelines
Portelli ; Claudio ; - ASI Sponsor
Jan - 2008

journal : 37th COSPAR Scientific Assembly. Held 13-20 July 2008, in Montr\eal, Canada
type: Article Journal

Abstract
The Space systems today provide growing benefits to enhance the quality of humankind. However as a by product, the orbiting objects inevitably leaves some debris which after 50 years of space activities represent a concern for all space agencies and manufacturers and operators. Since last year no international agreement was in place to mitigate the growing population of space debris objects. The successful result obtained at UN COPUOS in 2007 and available in the OOSA web site, now gives to the public, a set of voluntary international guidelines that could, if adopted by each space fairing Country, help in maintaining the present space environment. More further steps are necessary in the future to define a legal and normative framework. The paper will present the seven established UN Space Debris guidelines as well as examples of the minimum steps to be carried out at national level to enable the UN COPUOS to start the discussion of the legal aspect associated with the space debris issue.

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