UNIVITY joins Zero Debris Charter to safeguard orbital environment

UNIVITY signs the Zero Debris Charter and reaffirms its commitment to sustainable space connectivity

Univity, a European satellite services firm, has signed the Zero Debris Charter of the European Space Agency, joining over 100 organisations in pledging to achieve debris-neutral space operations by 2030, as escalating orbital debris threatens satellite safety and future missions.

European satellite services firm, Univity, formerly known as Constellation Technologies & Operations, has underlined its commitment to a cleaner orbital environment by officially signing the Zero Debris Charter.

In a press statement, Univity says that this agreement, spearheaded by the European Space Agency (ESA), unites more than 180 organisations and 20 nations under a single vision that is to reach Zero Debris in Earth’s orbit by 2030.

The statement adds that the proliferation of satellites has transformed space into an invaluable domain for telecommunications, defence, earth monitoring, and research. Yet, this rapid expansion has brought a staggering 40,000 objects larger than 10 cm, along with 1.2 million smaller fragments, all careering around the Earth at up to 28,000 kmph.

Univity says that this swelling debris field threatens not only satellite safety, but also the long-term sustainability and openness of space activities. Without decisive intervention, scientists warn that debris accumulation could double within 50 years, rendering some orbits unusable and jeopardising essential services on the Earth.

According to the statement, recognising the urgency, ESA facilitated the development of the Zero Debris Charter, an ambitious framework outlining collective principles and quantitative targets, ranging from debris prevention and active removal, to risk mitigation and transparency in space operations.

“Signing this charter reaffirms our commitment to a shared vision: a competitive but also responsible European sovereignty. Univity proves it is possible to deploy an ambitious constellation and aim for technological excellence without compromising the long-term sustainability of space. Space is the next frontier for telecom and we must explore it with boldness, responsibility, and awareness,” says Charles Delfieux, CEO and Founder, Univity.

“The Zero Debris Community keeps growing, and it is wonderful to see Univity’s strong commitment to advancing towards Zero Debris objectives, developed by the global space community in an open and collaborative way,” says Quentin Verspieren, Space Safety Programme Coordination Lead at ESA.