Space Debris Insights Report Urges Action For Safer Orbits And A Sustainable Space Economy

The Space Futures Centre has released a new insights report warning that unmanaged space debris could inflict economic damage of between $25.8 billion and $42.3 billion on the space industry over the next decade, stressing the need for a safer and more sustainable orbital environment.

The document, titled "Clear Orbit, Secure Future: a Call to Action on Space Debris," is presented as a call for coordinated responses from governments, regulators, service providers, satellite operators, and research institutions, and seeks to shape how the global space community responds to mounting debris risks.

The report is produced by the Space Futures Centre, an independent global centre created in partnership with the World Economic Forum and the Saudi Space Agency, drawing on their combined networks to offer guidance for protecting the global space economy from escalating debris threats and related operational hazards.

Analysts behind the study assessed how growing orbital congestion could affect commercial activity and public services that depend on satellites, concluding that long-term industry growth will require active steps to stabilise orbital conditions and maintain reliable access to space-based infrastructure for users worldwide.

The study grew from a series of community consultations that examined the economic and safety implications of space debris, combining quantitative analysis with stakeholder input to inform policy recommendations, technology priorities, and cross-sector collaboration that support a healthier space environment for current and future operators.

Contributors include the Saudi Space Agency, LeoLabs, and Novaspace, whose missions align around orbital sustainability and resilience, while the report also invites policymakers, companies, and academics worldwide to continue sharing perspectives to help design joint solutions that keep orbital operations secure and economically viable.

The Space Futures Centre described the publication as a step toward deeper international dialogue on orbital sustainability, with the call to collaborate endorsed by Space Futures Centre chief executive Mishaal Al Shemimri and World Economic Forum Centre for Technology and Innovation Frontiers head of planet solutions Helen Birt, signalling broad support for collective action.

With inputs from SPA