Law & Economics of Nature: “The Question of Governing Space Debris”

“The Kessler Syndrome: Risks, Consequences and Solutions”March 24, 20225:30 pm CEST / 11:30 am EST(This seminar will be conducted in English)

Utilization of most resources involves the creation of pollution, and orbital space is no exception. Since the launch of Sputnik in 1957, governments and commercial interests have left an ever-increasing volume of debris that encircles Earth. Don Kessler was one of the earliest to point out that debris is potentially self-propagating: collisions in space create more debris which, in turn, create still more debris and collisions. Should collisional cascades accelerate uncontrollably, orbital space will be lost as a resource. In this presentation, we will explore the causes and consequences of the Kessler syndrome. We will also discuss solutions to the problem of orbital debris.

Brendan Cunningham is a professor of economics at Eastern Connecticut State University. He specializes in economic research pertaining to space, media and satellites. He is a leading expert on the pressing issue of space debris. His work has been supported by Eastern and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The topics addressed in this presentation appear just after the announcement that the International Space Station will be sunk in the Point Nemo in 2031.

This seminar is co-organised by the CRED and CERSA laboratories of université Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas and the ECN Team (Environment : Concepts and Norms) of the Institut Jean Nicod at the École Normale Supérieure.