Aviation Anthology Vol 1 2026 - Digital Version - Flipbook - Page 27
Artemis II, space debris, and the ESA Zero Debris Charter
Overview
The successful return of NASA’s Artemis II crewed
mission represents another milestone in human
spaceflight. From an environmental standpoint, the
mission was never going to be neutral. However, seen
through the narrower lens of space debris creation,
Artemis II stands out as a model, low impact mission.
It aligns with the direction of travel envisaged by the
European Space Agency’s (“ESA”) Zero Debris Charter:
disciplined mission architecture, controlled disposal, and
a conscious refusal to add to the long lived space debris
environment.
Artemis II: what actually mattered
The Artemis II mission is notable as much for what did
not happen as for what did. There were no uncontrolled
break ups, no spent stages abandoned in orbit, and
no hardware left behind to add to the growing space
debris environment. The solid rocket boosters were
recovered shortly after launch. Both the core stage and
the interim upper stage were deliberately de-orbited
and destroyed during planned atmospheric re-entry. The
Orion spacecraft itself returned intact and was recovered
safely at sea.
ESA’s Zero Debris Charter : shaping a sustainable
future in space
ESA’s Zero Debris Charter launched in 2023.[3] The aim
is ambitious: “ESA’s bold goal [is] to significantly limit
the production of debris in Earth and Lunar orbits by
2030 for all future missions, programmes and activities.”
The global space community is invited by ESA, “ …to
be part of driving global space debris mitigation and
remediation efforts, shaping a sustainable future in
space.” Signatories commit to:
O Avoiding creating long lived debris wherever
practicable,
O Designing missions so that spacecraft and stages are
removed reliably at end of life,
O Keeping uncontrolled re entry risk to people and
property extremely low,
O Sharing data and coordinating management of
collision risk, and
O Supporting mitigation and, where needed, support
active remediation.
The emphasis is preventive. Once debris exists,
management options narrow quickly and costs escalate.
Debris is no longer a future problem
Who is participating - and why it matters
The space sector is expanding at a pace with few
historical parallels. United Nations analysis notes that
more than 12,000 spacecraft have been deployed in
the last decade, and that launch activity in the past six
years has exceeded that of the previous six decades
combined.[1]
The call to arms is extended globally, to all space sector
players – from states and national space agencies
to intergovernmental organisations, from private
companies (manufacturers, launch providers and
satellite operators) to research institutions and other
organisations.
Alongside growth has come an accumulation of
space debris. An estimated 130 million debris
fragments now populate Earth orbit, ranging from
decommissioned satellites and spent rocket stages to
microscopic fragments produced by in-orbit collisions
or disintegration events.[2] At orbital velocities
approaching 15 km per second, even very small objects
carry a worrying risk of collision – with satellites, space
missions and the International Space Station.
At state level, twelve European countries signed as
initial state signatories to the Charter in May 2024:
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, and the
United Kingdom. ESA itself has signed in its capacity
as an international organisation. At the International
Astronautical Congress in October 2024, the Charter
secured wider, international engagement beyond
Europe when New Zealand and Mexico (in addition to
Czech Republic) joined.
Aviation Anthology 2026 - Volume I
DAC Beachcroft
27
