The AFT newswire is reporting that the United States has agreed to join a European initiative to create an “International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities.” Though all is not quiet thus far, as The Space Review is reporting that American delegates in meetings with the Europeans already want changes made to the existing draft documents.
Simply put, a code of conduct would be a living document that would stipulate how countries or organizations manage their spacecraft, though in actual practice, it would cover mostly those craft that circle the Earth. Sensitive topics such as the creation and perhaps cleanup of space debris and how to avoid running into one another have been avoided up to now, but clearly need discussion as the AFT reports that space debris is piling up at an alarming rate with no end in sight. Because of the lack of communication between space programs, accidents in space have occurred, such as when a Russian military satellite collided with an American communications satellite three years ago. Also needing to be discussed are what to do about spacecraft that fall to Earth, as did the failed Russian Mars probe last week. Currently there are no guidelines for such situations.
One example of a code of conduct would be a requirement that all space vehicles have a means for self-destruction should something go wrong, or when they simply run out of usefulness. Had the Russian Mars probe had such a feature, it would not have posed a threat to people in its path when it fell.
Another touchy area, noted in the Telegraph is what to do about clearing up space junk. Currently there are hundreds of thousands of pieces “stuff” circling the planet that were put there when spacecraft ran out of usefulness. Quite often they collide with other bits of space junk causing smaller bits. Thus far no one has come up with an adequate solution to the problem as many such suggestions involve technology that could be construed as a weapon if used in other ways.
Further complicating the creation of such a code are statements such as those made recently by US Secretary of State, Hilleary Clinton (as noted by the AFT) where she said that the United States “…has made clear to our partners that we will not enter into a code of conduct that in any way constrains our national security-related activities in space or our ability to protect the United States and our allies.”