Space Safety

Space safety is commonly understood to refer to measures aimed at preventing accidental or unintentional hazards to space systems. These hazards can be natural, such as geomagnetic storms, or stem from human-made objects, such as the accidental malfunctioning of a satellite, or collision with a piece of debris. Space safety measures therefore seek to mitigate any non-intentional damage to a space system. The possibility of such a damage is considered a risk (as opposed to a threat). Issues of space safety are generally understood to be a part of the broader topic of the peaceful uses of outer space, which is discussed at the Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) and under the purview of the General Assembly’s Fourth Committee.

Space safety is generally regarded as distinct from space security, although the two are interrelated, and can intersect and overlap. Certain languages do not differentiate between ‘safety’ and ‘security’, and therefore can generate confusion in distinguishing the two.