18 Jul Open letter from the Global Space Council: Governments must address a growing crisis in our orbits

The space sector is evolving faster than most realise. We’re on the brink of a new space economy, one full of global opportunities. Yet that potential is now in serious jeopardy. That’s why we, as space leaders, experts, astronauts, and former policymakers, have created the Global Space Council.

Our message is clear: Governments must establish a new, sustainable, rules-based order for space, before it’s too late. Since the dawn of space exploration, the world’s great powers have raced for dominance in orbit. But while space remains a geopolitical arena, it’s no longer just a Cold War contest. Today, over 70 nations have satellites orbiting Earth, used for research, environmental monitoring, intelligence, and more.

“But the private sector’s growth in space is even more transformative. Companies are innovating at an astonishing pace, launching new ventures and massive satellite constellations that advance connectivity, national security, and everyday life. Just seven years ago, only about 2,000 active satellites were in orbit. Today, thanks to private industry, that number has surpassed 10,000, and could reach 100,000 or more by 2030.

Yet this modern space race is happening in a governance system no longer fit for purpose. The institutions charged with managing space, the United Nations, the International Telecommunication Union and others, were built in a different world. The core treaties governing space date back to the 1960s and 70s, when the United States and the Soviet Union had a virtual monopoly on our orbits. Yesterday’s rules do not reflect today’s realities of major commercial actors, expanding national competition, and even potential conflict in space.

In 2025, multilateral consensus moves too slowly, if it happens at all. Without updated rules, we’re sliding toward a winner-takes-all free-for-all, turning space into a dangerous frontier. Space may be infinite, but near-Earth orbits are not. As orbits grow more congested without binding traffic laws, collision risks escalate. Each year, more satellites fragment, scattering debris at speeds eight times faster than a bullet. This mounting chaos endangers both public and private space operations, and even those on Earth as debris crashes back to the surface.

Meanwhile, the finite radio spectrum, which is the invisible backbone connecting satellites to Earth, faces a bandwidth crunch. As more satellites claim their share, signal interference threatens everything from national security to daily communications. Relying on goodwill to override profit motives is naive when a handful of private companies, or even rogue individuals, are the primary drivers of orbital overcrowding. The time for action is now.

Clear, enforceable rules for space market access are urgently needed. Just as aircraft must comply with safety standards to enter airspace, satellite operators should meet regulated benchmarks to access national markets. The European Union’s new Space Act marks important progress in this direction.

National governments must now take decisive action. While global agreement remains challenging, domestic leadership can drive real progress. We call on governments to:

• Establish regulatory frameworks to reduce space debris
• Responsibly manage orbital traffic and spectrum allocation
• Prevent corporate oligopolies from dominating this shared global frontier

Through the Global Space Council, we’re mobilizing experts to deliver actionable policy recommendations. We’ll bridge regulators, industry, and civil society to advocate for urgent rules preserving space as an open, safe, and sustainable domain. Earth’s environmental crisis proves we must protect our shared resources. Our orbits demand the same vigilance.

Signed, in their personal capacities,

Anders Fogh Rasmussen — former Secretary General of NATO and Prime Minister of Denmark.
Tidiane Ouattara — President of the Space Council of the African Space Agency.
Katya Echazarreta — Founder of the Fundación Espacial and Space for Humanity Citizen Astronaut.
Sara Sabry — Astronaut, engineer and CEO at STRIVE and Deep Space Initiative.
Nicolas Walter — CEO of the European Science Foundation.
Boris Otter — Founding President of Swiss Space Tourism.
Xavier Pasco — Director of the Foundation for Strategic Research.