From Dec 2-4, a unique gathering of more than 70 delegates from over 20 countries took place at the centennial campus at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) for a space sustainability and space debris conference.

The space sustainability issue is, with no exaggeration, an existential one for the future viability of the so-called low Earth orbit (LEO), where most satellites are now placed. The LEO is a region between 200 to 1,600 kilometers above the Earth’s surface and the orbital home into which thousands of Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellites are being launched. It is also where China’s soon-to-be-competing “thousand sails” satellite constellation will be placed.

Space sustainability refers to maintaining the LEO’s capacity to continue operating all the satellites safely.

However, it is under serious threat from the so-called Kessler syndrome, which refers to space debris such as bits of broken and exploded satellites, spent rocket bodies, and other man-made materials like small flecks of paint, which can collide with other satellites and destroy them due to the enormous speeds at which they travel.

This creates a new, large debris field that can crash into more satellites and so on in a growing cascade of collisions until the entire ecosystem becomes a single debris field and every asset in the LEO is destroyed. There are an estimated 130 million pieces of debris smaller than 1 centimeter, while we can only track the 40,000 pieces larger than 10 cm. It is scary stuff! Indeed, the Kessler syndrome event has been predicted to occur as early as 2035 in some models unless something urgent is done to remedy the issue. Most people do not appreciate the severity of this issue. Life could revert to the 1960s as our dependence on data services from orbiting satellites is increasingly prominent.

So, this meeting was a key event to bring together a diverse, international constituency of stakeholders to explore the issues in a welcoming and safe environment. Crucially, these overseas delegates were not foreign nationals residing in Hong Kong but experts who flew in especially for the meeting from around the world, with many coming to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the first time.

Ronny Tong Ka-wah (a Hong Kong senior counsel, politician, and nonofficial member of the Executive Council) was present at a cocktail reception the evening before the meeting started. Held at HKU’s senior common room, Cafe 1951, he shared key reflections and thoughts on the nature of the event. His knowledge of the issue’s importance and ability to place it in a truly global context impressed me.

Many visitors spoke about how their expectations were “blown away by the reality” of Hong Kong, as was made clear throughout the event. Importantly, this is the first time nationals from all five permanent members of the UN Security Council have come together to discuss this very serious issue. The event was as unique as it was important and impactful. It was also a major first for our city, strengthening our credentials as a safe, global, East-to-West superconnector. Our vibrant and welcoming environment allowed delegates to earnestly discuss this most serious of issues concerning the future of the LEO as a viable ecosystem on which so much of our modern, technology-dominated lives depend.

A key differentiator of this meeting compared to others on the same subject, apart from the inclusivity and diversity of the nations represented (from Bangladesh to Egypt and from Switzerland to Italy), was the mix of stakeholders represented. Senior delegates from top-level institutes, globally elite universities, major NGOs, aerospace companies, law firms, and government agencies were all gathered in the same venue. The frank and open sharing of insights, different perspectives, approaches, and concerns (especially from delegates from developing nations), but all united by a common issue, was as valuable as it was eye-opening, collegiate, and respectful. This is the first time this has ever been held.

The meeting was sponsored by the Paris-based International Academy of Astronautics, which counts 1,200 members in 90 countries, and Executive Director Dr Olivier Contant was present in person. The meeting was also endorsed by the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs, whose director general, Aarti Holla-Maini, gave a 10-minute welcome video address to delegates. The HKU Laboratory for Space Research and the Space Centre of Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland co-organized the meeting. Professor Jean-Paul Kneib, the eminent astrophysicist, also attended. It was co-hosted by Hong Kong’s “Orion Astropreneur Space Academy” under Professor Gregg Li and the US-based but nonaligned Three Country Trusted Broker groups (TCTB). Its core mission is to build goodwill and honest action between the United States, Russia, and China.

Chuck Dickey, the CEO and founder of TCTB, along with his senior Russian counterpart Valentin Uvarov, stated, “Governments need to find a way to cooperate now to remediate objects before they collide. TCTB’s proposal to facilitate cooperation through a neutral, independent, nimble, international NGO is the best way to meet the threat in time to avoid forecast collisions. Failing to act now… jeopardizes our sustainable future in outer space.”

Another senior delegate said, “In light of political posturing and space being pushed into the spotlight … global discussions and exchange of views are key as Hong Kong needs to push its international position despite political headwinds... This conference is exemplary in bringing together institutions, academia, and industry to look at how space-related issues can be addressed and actions taken in Asia with Hong Kong taking the lead.”

Another commented, “It was not only a fantastic event, but a gathering of wills toward addressing what I now more clearly understand to be the greatest challenge of our time.”

This trail-blazing, interdisciplinary event set a new benchmark for the importance of actively seeking the international cooperation needed to move the dial forward instead of backwards against the existential threat posed by the Kessler syndrome. Indeed, this event has motivated some to consider that Hong Kong could be the ideal place to establish a “space sustainability hub”. We could use our globally respected talent and expertise in compliance, regulation, and the rule of law together with our prowess and reputation as an investment powerhouse and financial center to provide the necessary multicomponent framework needed to help regulate and fund the enforcement and remediation of this issue for global benefit and to safeguard the future of the NewSpace economy predicted to be worth more than $1.5 trillion by the middle of the next decade.

Hong Kong can do this!

The author is a professor at the Faculty of Science and director of the Laboratory for Space Research at the University of Hong Kong.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.