Space debris is an ‘increasing issue’ for Earth. What Canada is doing now

The Canadian Space Agency says it takes the issue of space debris “very seriously” and is working to ensure it doesn’t pose any “major risks” to Earth after a piece of orbital junk was recently discovered in rural Saskatchewan.

The incident, which experts say was likely linked to a SpaceX spacecraft, is being looked into by government officials, said Stéphanie Durand, vice-president of the CSA’s space program policy.

“The Canadian Space Agency takes the issue of space debris very seriously,” Durand said in an interview with Global News Monday.

“With the increase in space traffic, space debris is an increasing issue, that we are all working very closely with national and international partners to find solutions to manage.”

In any case of space debris making its way to Earth, Durand said Canada works in collaboration with the country where the debris originates from.

“So right now, the Department of Global Affairs is leading the followup activities, following that incident (in Saskatchewan),” she said.

Global Affairs Canada did not respond to questions from Global News about the debris incident by the time of publication.

This latest incident near Ituna, Sask., adds to a growing number of cases of space junk falling to Earth in recent years. In March, one object crashed through the roof of a Florida home and in 2022, chunks of debris were also found on farmland in Australia.

Since Dec. 20, 2023, there have been about 36,000 space objects flying in low Earth orbit, the CSA’s Durand said.

She said there are international guidelines and standards in place to limit space debris and those principles are used by Canada and other countries.

Durand said Canada regulates Canadian in-space activities, such as radio communication and remote