Saudi Arabia’s First Space Debris Forum

Saudi Arabia is hosting a space debris forum in Riyadh for two days from today. KSA is leading the way in the global response to the space debris threat where experts and leaders from over 50 countries participated in the discussion. It is the first of its kind in the region.

It is organized by the Saudi Space Agency in partnership with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) as a content partner and the Communications and Space Technology Commission as a hosting partner.

Why Is KSA Doing This?

The increase in the number of satellites and space missions is leading to a growing amount of debris in orbit, posing risks to still-functioning satellites. Clashes with the debris can destroy operational satellites, disrupting GPS and network communication.

The European Space Agency and NASA are also actively involved in finding solutions.

Subjects under discussion are spacecraft that can capture and change the direction of the existing trash, as well as designing satellites with features that can reduce the risk of generating new debris, and finally enhancing systems to track debris and predict potential collision risks.

Okay, all the potential solutions can be coordinated by the international cooperation efforts that’re crucial to addressing the global challenge.

“The UAE’s Minister of State for Advanced Technology, Sarah Al Amiri, expressed her anticipation to see the outcomes of the Space Debris Conference, highlighting the Kingdom’s commitment and earnest efforts towards space sustainability, making it perpetually exploratory and supporting the growth of its trillion-dollar economy,” stated the Saudi Press Agency.

The conference held a panel discussion in its first session about “Beyond Borders, Beyond Debris: Space Agencies Unite for a Sustainable Space Future”. While the second panel that was hosted by UNOOSA was titled “Translating Policy into Progress”. The third panel was about the “Role of Licensing Bodies”.

Saudi Arabia is taking a front seat in tackling the space debris issue, utilizing new technologies for the sake of contributing mitigation to this pressing problem.

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