AwaitingLaunch_1397728623369

During the Cold War, around 120 satellites were launched every year. The
number of launches is increasing again in the recent years, and during 2011,
80 space vehicles reached the Earth orbit or beyond, which is the highest
number since the year 2000.
Currently, there are around 1,000 operational satellites orbiting the Earth.
Since the first satellite, Sputnik, was launched in 1957, more than 6,000
satellites have been launched. Half of these have already been consumed, but
more than 2,000 are still orbiting uselessly. The sources of debris are not only
defunct spacecraft but also fragmentation due to satellite explosions and
collisions and anti satellite tests (ASAT). As a result of inadvertent and
intentional destruction, more than 20,000 pieces of space debris with a
diameter larger than 10 cm are circulating around the Earth. Furthermore,
there are numerous objects with a diameter smaller than 10cm in space,
which are not trackable.
Collision with this debris could destroy a spacecraft and endanger astronauts.
We are on the verge of the spontaneous increase of space debris. By its very
nature, the space environment is quite different from the ground and the air.
A space vehicle cannot change its position easily, as its orbital behaviour is
strictly constrained to the orbit onto which it has been launched.
As of today, prior notification of the type of a satellite being launched is not
required. At the very least, when a satellite is launched, an advanced
notification should be disseminated to all countries concerned, and necessary
coordination should be pursued through various kinds of cooperative
mechanisms. Currently, only the International Telecommunication Union
(ITU) operates an advanced notice system for frequency registration and
coordination. The problem is that small satellites are often not registered,
even after launch. Sometimes, the ITU is not involved at all with the launches
of small satellites for educational or capacity building purposes, commercially
procured satellites for private use, and satellites for security and military
purposes.
The efforts to collect satellite launch information are implemented by various
coordination mechanisms such as Committee on Earth Observation
Satellites - Global Earth Observation System of Systems (CEOS-GEOSS)
for Earth Observation, UN-International Committee on Global Navigation
Satellite Systems (ICG) for Global Positioning, the Coordination Group for
20 | Awaiting Launch: Perspectives on the Draft ICoC for Outer Space Activities