UN space database aimed at easing global tensions is mysteriously down

A United Nations registry that tracks every object launched into space has been offline for several months due to an unspecified IT issue. This registry, established during the cold war to prevent paranoia and conflict, is crucial for transparency.

“This is not OK,” states Jonathan McDowell from Durham University, UK. He emphasizes the importance of the list amidst growing tensions in space, where accusations of misconduct are common among various space-faring nations.

The UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) manages the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), facilitating discussions among 104 countries on technical, political, or safety issues in space, often involving nations with strained relations or active conflicts.

Part of UNOOSA’s role is to keep a public record of every satellite launch worldwide. This initiative, first proposed at the UN in 1961 and expanded in 1974 with the Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space, aims to ensure transparency about spacecraft, including those with military purposes. Countries must disclose details like the name, launch date and location, orbit, and general function of each object launched.

However, the Online Index of Objects Launched into Outer Space has been inaccessible for months. The UN website cites “mandatory changes made to the UNOOSA website’s IT infrastructure” as the reason, but no further details or timelines have been provided by UNOOSA.

According to McDowell, the database has been down for several months, with the last update recorded on February 23.

“This transparency agreement, effective for about 50 years, becomes ineffective if documents are sent to the UN but cannot be accessed,” McDowell explains. “Currently, we lack information on Russian and US satellites’ identities, particularly those classified as secret, which are only disclosed in UN filings.”

McDowell notes that even covert military or surveillance satellites were previously listed on the UN site, though often under vague descriptions like “performing functions for the ministry of defence” or “conducting research and spacecraft techniques.” The listing itself, however, provided some transparency.

“Having an official reference is vital,” McDowell says, emphasizing the need to resume this practice. “It has been beneficial for years, and we need to restore it.”

Ram Jakhu from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, warns that the outage could threaten international peace and security and impede the enforcement of UN space treaties, particularly after accidents involving space debris or objects.

The list is straightforward yet essential for global safety, says Thomas Cheney from Northumbria University in the UK. He points out that while space law is lenient, requiring nations to disclose their space activities is more of a symbolic gesture.

Cheney believes the issue reflects a broader financial crisis within the UN, exacerbated by the US reducing its funding contributions. This financial strain has affected space regulations, with UNOOSA’s COPUOS meeting in Vienna being shortened by two days this year to cut costs, impacting international interactions.

“Conversations between Chinese and American representatives often only occur in Vienna under the UN’s auspices. More formal state-to-state meetings would be more complex and significant,” Cheney explains.