House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Space Debris

14 July 2021 · 2 other contributors · 7,138 words

Opened by Chris Skidmore Con Kingswood

Responding minister: Amanda Solloway

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Chris Skidmore raised concerns about space debris in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

Chris Skidmore is concerned about the rapid increase in satellite production and space debris, which poses a significant risk to the sustainability of Earth's orbit.
Skidmore urges the Minister to continue supporting initiatives aimed at cleaning up space debris and promoting international regulation to prevent irresponsible satellite activities.
Skidmore asks for increased funding to support research and development in sustainable space technologies and encourages partnerships with companies like Astroscale for end-of-life services.

Key requests to Government

Skidmore urges the Minister to continue supporting initiatives aimed at cleaning up space debris and promoting international regulation to prevent irresponsible satellite activities. He also asks for increased funding to support research and development in sustainable space technologies and encourages partnerships with companies like Astroscale for end-of-life services.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Chris Skidmore Con Kingswood

Chris Skidmore is concerned about the rapid increase in satellite production and space debris, which poses a significant risk to the sustainability of Earth's orbit. He cited that as of April 2021, there were 7,389 satellites in space—a 20% increase from the previous year. He also highlighted the potential for catastrophic collisions and the militarisation of space with anti-satellite weaponry leading to Kessler syndrome. Skidmore mentioned specific incidents such as the Iridium-33 collision and the Chinese destruction of a weather satellite, causing massive debris dispersal.

Other contributors (2)

Chi Onwurah Lab Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West

Discussed the importance of addressing space debris, highlighted UK's proud history in space exploration, mentioned over 900,000 objects currently orbiting Earth with more than 23,000 pieces being man-made debris larger than 1 cm. Criticized the Government for failing to provide direction on space debris and asked about discussions with Astroscale and a long-term sustainable plan.
Peter Dowd Lab Bootle

Reminded hon. Members about changes to normal practice for hybrid arrangements, including timings of debates and the requirement for virtual attendees to leave their cameras on throughout.

Government Response

Amanda Solloway

It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd. I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood on securing this incredibly important debate and continuing to champion our space sector throughout his time as a Minister and in this House. Over the past decade, the UK's space industry has grown significantly, employing over 45,000 people and generating £16 billion annually. However, space is getting crowded with nearly 3,000 working satellites and an estimated 130 million pieces of debris, 30,000 of which pose a significant threat. The UK has active partnerships in multilateral forums like the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee to develop guidelines and support initiatives that promote sustainability and limit accidents. At the G7 in Cornwall last month, the UK facilitated an agreement between nations to strengthen collective efforts to ensure the sustainability of space for all. The UK Space Agency is working with the Ministry of Defence on national collision warning services to enhance our space surveillance and tracking capabilities. We are also investing in technology to address this issue, including £80 million through the European Space Agency for debris and clean space activities. Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting Astroscale to discuss its ELSA-d satellite which is demonstrating technology that removes different satellites from orbit. Businesses across the world, particularly in the UK, are developing innovative technology to address this market worth over £2 billion over the next 15 years. We awarded £1 million last year and will award a further £1.2 million this year to support projects focused on mitigating the effects of harmful debris. With significant strategic opportunities ahead, the UK needs to be the shaper of this evolving landscape by taking leadership in space sustainability and driving national and international capability development, regulatory advances, and understanding the orbital environment through joint civil and military space domain awareness.