EU Seeks New Space Rules After Satellite Collision

After a US and Russian satellite crashed in space, February 2009, the EU called for a European code of conduct for civil and military activities in space. It seems unlikely that collision debris will endanger the International Space Station.

Subsequently, the European Space Agency (ESA) said it hoped to set up its own detection system for space junk instead of relying on US radar to track the chunks of shattered satellites and spent rockets in earth orbit.

• Primary Source

Spiegel Online International, 17.2.09: Europe Plans to Monitor Space Junk http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,608125,00.html

Deutsche Welle, 17.2.09: ESA Wants Own System to Protect Satellites From Space Junk http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4035242,00.html

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