Last week twenty member states of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) — the top UN body for civilian space-related matters — took the floor during discussions on the agenda item on dark and quiet skies, demonstrating its growing importance. The discussion included remarks on the need to find balanced solutions, the urgent need for nations to support research on mitigations, considerations on the cultural heritage of the night sky, and the importance of space sustainability discussions within international bodies. In attendance were members of the IAU Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference (IAU CPS), which is co-hosted by NSF NOIRLab and the SKAO.
“This week marked a significant moment for the future safeguarding of the science of astronomy,” said Piero Benvenuti, Head of the IAU delegation at COPUOS and Director of the IAU CPS. “Never before have diplomats and the governments they represent spent so much time discussing the impact of growing numbers of satellites on astronomy. Their interventions were in many cases specific and committed to finding compromises so that technological development and scientific discovery can coexist.”
“It is essential that we find a balanced approach that embraces technological progress while safeguarding our dark and quiet skies. I firmly believe that UN COPUOS will greatly benefit from these discussions,” added Mila Francisco, Chilean Representative at the UN in Vienna.
Securing an agenda item at the subcommittee is a significant success for the astronomy community, and the culmination of many years of coordinated action by astronomers to have the issue discussed at the highest international level.
The Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of UN COPUOS will discuss “Dark and Quiet Skies, astronomy and large constellations: addressing emerging issues and challenges” annually until 2029. The subcommittee meets for two weeks and has representatives from 104 countries and 51 observer organisations, including the IAU and SKAO, as well as CPS member organisations the European Southern Observatory and European Astronomical Society, and representatives from industry also invited by delegations to contribute.
A paper co-signed by 10 country delegations and seven observer organisations represented in the Group of Friends of the Dark and Quiet Sky for Science and Society, details collaborative efforts which are underway to mitigate the impacts of satellites on astronomy, including the development of a worldwide database of radio quiet zones. The paper also provides actionable recommendations for COPUOS member states to advance the protection of dark and quiet skies, including supporting the development of designs and materials which can reduce satellites’ impact, and supporting research to understand the effects on all stakeholders, both professional and non-professional. The paper’s recommendations are largely aligned with those developed by the IAU CPS.
As the issue of Dark and Quiet Sky is relevant to that of space debris, similar recommendations have been included in the Zero debris technical booklet, recently published by the European Space Agency (ESA).