King Charles gives space sustainability venture royal seal of approval

Monarch looks to final frontier after decades of support for environmental initiatives

King Charles III unveils a plaque at the launch of the Sustainable Markets Initiative's Astra Carta framework to promote sustainability across the space industry. AFP

King Charles III has put his environmental reputation behind a new project aimed at space sustainability.

As he did the serious work – unveiling the seal for the new sustainable space Astra Carta framework – he was able to make a light-heartened reference to making “a mess of this planet”.

“Well, ladies and gentlemen, nothing can give me greater pleasure than to unveil this Astra Carta seal in the hope that as a result of all of you being here today and the meetings we've had already this morning, we can ensure the protection of outer space – having made rather a mess of this planet,” he said.

“I'm enormously grateful to all of you for being here today.”

The Astra Carta initiative is a sustainable markets initiative that aims to create and build sustainable practices across the global space industry. It also recognises the role space plays in developing a more sustainable future on Earth, and the need to consider environmental and sustainability impacts beyond our planet.

The king has a long record of pushing ecological and environmental challenges, and now he is looking at the final frontier.

Space sustainability is a new area that brings in ideas as diverse as the international Artemis Accords, for which the UAE has signed up, and the Kessler syndrome.

Guests included Canadian astronaut Col Chris Hadfield, British astronaut Maj Tim Peake, the UK's newest astronaut Rosemary Coogan, the world's first disabled astronaut John McFall and Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Sir Brian May.

“I'm moved by the rarity and the beauty and the living richness of our shared home,” said Col Hadfield, former commander of the International Space Station.

“To see Mother Earth from afar is to be struck by wonder and to feel immense awe and gratitude to call this ancient vital place our home.

“Yet, even from hundreds of miles above, the impacts of short-sighted human decision-making are crystal clear.”

British astronaut Major Tim Peake (left) and astrophysicist and Queen guitarist Brian May (right) at the space sustainability event. PA

Maj Tim Peake said the king was “absolutely delighted and really enthused and encouraged” by space sustainability.

Sir Brian said he felt “a bit of an impostor” in the room with astronauts but said he managed to secure the first stereoscopic photo of Pluto.

“It's really good that he's behind it. The king is a very environmentally aware person and he's really pulling people together here,” he said.

Tensions in space

Space sustainability as an idea is developing and growing in profile.

It has coincided with international tension that has also played out in orbit, with one low point being the near misses between Starlink satellites and China’s Tianhe space station.

These incidents highlight the importance of better communication between nations operating in space, particularly when resource extraction becomes a reality.

The US drafted the Artemis Accords as principles to oversee the exploration of the Moon, allowing for mining in support of scientific missions.

The Accords also set the agenda for a human-led mission to Mars.

So far, they are non-binding, but 19 nations – including the UAE – have signed up.

China and Russia appear to be planning alternative rule books for mining in space.

The Kessler syndrome, and its nightmare vision of an orbit so jammed with satellites that it causes a cascade of crashes that creates more and more debris around Earth, occupies a central role in conversations on space sustainability.

Falling costs associated with access to space have led to an increase in the number of satellites in orbit.

OneWeb plans to deploy almost 650 satellites, SpaceX has launched more than 2,000 Starlink satellites and hopes to send 30,000 more, and Amazon intends to send up more than 3,200.

As more satellites enter low-Earth orbits, the fear grows that a single crash could have devastating consequences.

Mining on the moon, or even Mars and asteroids, is another key area for space sustainability.

But at the moment there is no system in place to regulate future missions.