Space Hazard

Space above earth beyond the atmosphere has long been a place much away from humans. Beginning with Russian satellite Sputnik moving round the earth in space at late fifties, presently there are more than about 1,00,000 man made objects larger than half an inch orbiting in the space above earth. There are about 3000 tons of space debris surrounds the earth originated from various man made space ships. Amongst them there are about 37 nuclear powered satellites put into space by USA or former Soviet Union most of which are out of service but their nuclear fuel residue is lethal and may fall back on earth in the centuries ahead. The space junk has doubled since 1990 and poses a navigational hazard.

The United Nations General Assemblies Outer Space Treaty ratifies that outer space including the moon and other celestial bodies is not subject to national appropriation and it seeks to exclude war from space effective from 1967and is ratified by most of the nations of the world.

Since Outer Space Treaty in 1967 there had been enormous developments in space explorations and nations which are advance in exploring space are sometimes reluctant to accede to the subsequent treaties brought forward by United Nations to keep the space safe and secure for humans. In late sixties USA landed human on Moon surface and Soviet Union brought back moon soil with the help of space probe. With the disintegration of Soviet Union into Russia & CIS countries, USA is in the fore with various space missions, some of which are targeted to various satellites of the Solar system. European Union has their own space missions. India, China, Japan and various other countries are active in space with their own satellites and various other space programmes.

But later on Star War programme as undertaken by USA and steps taken by Soviet Union, now Russia who is not in a position to accommodate the tremendous expenditure such space war programme involves, there are numerous satellites used by USA, Russia & other countries for espionage & military purposes. Presently space has become a growing concern with United States actively engaged in space war programme. Bombing raids, missile fires targeted to enemy positions are now being guided from space. Orbiting devices now can help the warheads target their points with much more precision, remotely control and monitor them reaching their targets. Laser guidance and application from space satellites added extra dimensions to the lethal weapon systems. US led recent invasion of Iraq is an example where bombings and warfare guided from space played a major role. In fact newly formed US military wing the US Space Command played a vital role in this war.

Interestingly an American Company planned to place a mile long & half a mile wide advertising billboard in orbit, which will enable to have their logo & messages seen by billions of peoples on earth. This would also monitor ozone layer above earth as the company claimed. But this type of hoardings in heavenly space will pollute the view of space and soon thereafter space hoardings will pose serious problems to astronomical research/ study and space navigation. On large scale protests from USA & abroad however, US law is presently banning obstrusing space advertising, i.e. advertising in outer space capable of being recognised by humans on the surface of the earth with bare eyes without the aid of telescope or any other technological devices.

Space above earth is gradually being polluted and United Nations seems helpless with the activities of big powers. May we hope the heavenly space free from pollution and war ?