The Karman Project is a global non-profit foundation that promotes peace and security in space through international cooperation. | Photo credit: AP
How sustainable is space science? This was the subject of debate at Karman Week 2025, organized by SatSure, an Earth observation data refinement platform, here on Thursday.
“It’s time we mitigate space junk,” said Susmita Mohanty, head of SARABHAI, India’s first space think tank. She added that space science should be globally equitable. Research has shown that there are currently 1.2 million pounds of space debris over 1 cm in size in space, Ms. Mohanty added.
A “Sustainability Index for Space Science” is crucial, she says.
Space science can play a key role in this era of climate change, said Fani Kallianou de Jong, senior manager of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Greece.
The Karman Project is a global non-profit foundation that promotes peace and security in space through international cooperation. It brings together decision makers from the public and private sectors to create shared understanding and projects that advance sustainability, education, science, security and capacity building efforts.
“India is not only a leader in space exploration, but also a pioneer in using space technology to solve real-world challenges: whether it’s agriculture, climate resilience or disaster response,” Hannah Ashford, executive director of The Karman Project, said in a press release.
Minoo Rathnasabapathy of the MIT Media Lab and a leading voice in responsible space systems said that to achieve space sustainability, developing countries must have access to available data.
Published – 30 Oct 2025 23:33 IST
