For information only – not an official document
UNIS/OS/547
10 February 2021
Media representatives are informed about the release of:
VIENNA, 10 February (United Nations Information Service) — The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) have joined forces to create a series of infographics and podcasts on the growing issue of space debris.
Space debris is widely defined as all non-functional human-made objects, including fragments and elements thereof, in Earth orbit or re-entering into Earth’s atmosphere. Space debris is increasing in parallel with the growing number of countries using space. With more objects launched into outer space, space debris poses exponential risks for near-Earth collisions, threatening space operations and limiting the development of a secure commercial space environment.
This new series of infographics cover topics such as how space debris is created, how it falls back to Earth, how to avoid collisions with spacecraft, a history of past incidents, and technologies for safe removal and mitigation. They include attractive easy to understand illustrations, facts and figures so that anyone, even without previous knowledge of spaceflight, can understand what space debris is and the challenges it poses.
Each of the nine infographics is accompanied by a podcast with audio commentary by UNOOSA and ESA experts. The series is an innovative way of raising awareness about one of the main challenges to the sustainability of outer space activities and fosters a wider conversation about what can and should be done. UNOOSA and ESA are working with the international space community to catalyze solutions that can ensure the long-term sustainability of space exploration.
Infographics and podcasts will be released on the websites of UNOOSA and ESA once a week, over a period of nine weeks, starting on 10 February 2021. They will be also posted on @UNOOSA and @ESA social media accounts.
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For more information, please contact:
Ottavia Pesce
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
Telephone: (+43 699) 1459 8718
Email: pesce[at]un.org
or
Ninja Menning
ESA Newsroom & Media Relations Office
Telephone: (+31) 71 565 6409
Email: media[at]esa.int
