Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the press release G7 nations commit to the safe and sustainable use of space, published by the UK Space Agency on 13 June 2021, what steps her Department is taking to manage the risks posed by space debris.

Ensuring that space remains safe, sustainable and secure is a UK government priority, in line with the National Space Strategy. The growing volume of debris in space is both environmentally and commercially unsustainable, requiring swift action to clean up the Earth’s orbit as well as to ensure future projects minimise their footprint through recyclable manufacturing, retrieving satellites and mitigating any debris. In 2022 the UK Government announced the UK Plan for Space Sustainability, demonstrating our commitment, ambition and drive to improve the UK’s sustainable use of space. Implementation includes developing new, industry-led Space Sustainability Standards to create the right incentives for business and funding national projects designing missions to clear hazardous space debris and developing cutting-edge technologies. The Government’s global leadership was reinforced at the European Space Agency Council of Ministers 2022, where we committed over £100 million to space safety and sustainability programmes.