COP28: Dr. Meganne Christian

Dr. Meganne Christian from the UK Space Agency discusses the emerging issue of space sustainability

"Basically, the world would grind to a halt if we didn't have the telecommunications, the navigation services that we get from space infrastructure."

Dr Meganne Christian, a Reserve Astronaut and Exploration Commercialisation Lead at the UK Space Agency, points out the key role satellites play, both in our daily lives, and for monitoring the impact of climate change on the earth. There are now tens of thousands of objects in orbit above the earth, all of which pose a risk to satellites. Any collision would cause irreparable damage to this valuable and sensitive equipment. Space sustainability is a new topic on the climate agenda, and one which the UK and European Space Agencies are beginning to prioritise so we can continue to benefit from the invaluable information space observation provides.