FIRST IADC SESSION AS NEW DEPUTY CHAIR OF MEASUREMENTS WORKING GROUP FOR SPACE INSIGHT CONSULTANT

Phil Herridge of Space Insight will take up his post as newly elected deputy chair of the Measurements Working Group of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee at the 31st IADC meeting, 17 to 19 April 2013, ESOC, Darmstadt. The IADC advises the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space on space debris issues. It was formally constituted in 1993 when awareness of the dangers to space missions posed by orbiting space debris was starting to grow. 

Since that year, dependence on satellite-based activity in many aspects of everyday life on Earth has ramped up hugely, the number of countries with objects in space has increased by around 50%, and the large size (objects bigger than ~10cm) debris population has more than doubled (from ~3500 to ~9000). There is now far greater risk of collisions with and damage to spacecraft, and of such events causing disruption to critical services — and growth continues in satellite deployment. 

The United Kingdom has been actively represented at the IADC since joining in 1996. Space Insight consultants have been part of UK delegations since the company's formation.

Phil Herridge comments: "Since Space Insight first became involved with the IADC we have seen major shifts in the importance of this work, and a number of changes in global approaches to it. Both for technical reasons and because debris does not respect borders space debris issues can only be tackled by countries working cooperatively."

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