0:00:05.200,0:00:06.656
Our lives depend

0:00:06.680,0:00:08.440
on a world we can't see.

0:00:09.320,0:00:11.336
Think about your week so far.

0:00:11.360,0:00:14.576
Have you watched TV, used GPS,

0:00:14.600,0:00:17.560
checked the weather or even ate a meal?

0:00:18.120,0:00:20.816
These many things[br]that enable our daily lives

0:00:20.840,0:00:23.696
rely either directly or indirectly

0:00:23.720,0:00:25.416
on satellites.

0:00:25.440,0:00:27.376
And while we often take for granted

0:00:27.400,0:00:29.936
the services that satellites provide us,

0:00:29.960,0:00:32.776
the satellites themselves[br]deserve our attention

0:00:32.800,0:00:34.776
as they are leaving a lasting mark

0:00:34.800,0:00:36.519
on the space they occupy.

0:00:37.120,0:00:40.736
People around the world[br]rely on satellite infrastructure every day

0:00:40.760,0:00:44.816
for information, entertainment[br]and to communicate.

0:00:44.841,0:00:47.697
There's agricultural[br]and environmental monitoring,

0:00:47.720,0:00:50.776
Internet connectivity, navigation.

0:00:50.800,0:00:52.496
Satellites even play a role

0:00:52.520,0:00:56.000
in the operation of our financial[br]and energy markets.

0:00:56.520,0:00:58.416
But these satellites that we rely on

0:00:58.440,0:01:00.096
day in and day out

0:01:00.120,0:01:01.776
have a finite life.

0:01:01.800,0:01:03.696
They might run out of propellant,

0:01:03.720,0:01:05.256
they could malfunction,

0:01:05.280,0:01:08.975
or they may just naturally[br]reach the end of their mission life.

0:01:08.999,0:01:13.136
At this point, these satellites[br]effectively become space junk,

0:01:13.160,0:01:15.480
cluttering the orbital environment.

0:01:16.275,0:01:19.798
So a framework that enables[br]sustainable practices in space

0:01:19.829,0:01:20.829
is necessary.

0:01:21.006,0:01:23.442
Such as the disposal of dead satellites,

0:01:23.466,0:01:25.133
or the cleanup of debris.

0:01:25.792,0:01:27.013
Otherwise,

0:01:27.061,0:01:31.243
space will continue to be[br]our invisible landfill.

0:01:32.224,0:01:35.799
People always say to me, "Space is big,[br]there's lots of room up there.

0:01:35.871,0:01:37.938
Why do we need to take action?"

0:01:38.196,0:01:41.234
And to answer that question,[br]I want to paint a picture for you.

0:01:42.159,0:01:45.756
So imagine you're driving down the highway[br]on a beautiful, sunny day

0:01:45.780,0:01:47.196
out running errands.

0:01:47.220,0:01:48.876
You've got your music cranked,

0:01:48.900,0:01:50.356
your windows rolled down,

0:01:50.380,0:01:53.076
with the cool breeze[br]blowing through your hair.

0:01:53.100,0:01:54.300
Feels nice, right?

0:01:54.940,0:01:57.316
Everything is going smoothly

0:01:57.340,0:01:59.996
until suddenly[br]your car stutters and stalls

0:02:00.020,0:02:01.860
right in the middle of the highway.

0:02:02.383,0:02:03.978
In that instant moment of panic,

0:02:04.010,0:02:07.406
you scan your front dashboard[br]looking for what could be wrong.

0:02:07.514,0:02:11.132
And then you eye that your fule gauge[br]has dropped below empty.

0:02:11.204,0:02:12.404
You're out of gas.

0:02:12.919,0:02:14.119
So what do you do?

0:02:14.157,0:02:17.235
You naturally go to reach[br]for your cell phone to call for help.

0:02:17.498,0:02:20.474
But then you suddenly remember[br]that this car you bought

0:02:20.531,0:02:22.879
could never be fixed if a part breaks,

0:02:22.989,0:02:25.789
or refilled with gas if the tank runs out.

0:02:25.919,0:02:28.119
It just wasn't designed that way.

0:02:28.960,0:02:32.256
So now you have no choice[br]but to abandon your car

0:02:32.280,0:02:33.720
where it is on the highway.

0:02:35.000,0:02:36.336
Maybe you were lucky enough

0:02:36.360,0:02:39.256
to be able to move it out of the way[br]and into a shoulder lane

0:02:39.280,0:02:41.416
so that it's out of the way[br]of other traffic.

0:02:41.440,0:02:42.696
A couple of hours ago,

0:02:42.720,0:02:47.200
your car was a useful machine[br]that you relied on in your everyday life.

0:02:47.800,0:02:50.336
Now, it's a useless hunk of metal

0:02:50.360,0:02:54.040
taking up space in a valuable[br]transportation network.

0:02:54.720,0:02:58.896
And imagine international roadways[br]all cluttered with broken down vehicles

0:02:58.920,0:03:01.776
that are just getting in the way[br]of other traffic.

0:03:01.800,0:03:04.696
And imagine the debris[br]that would be strewn everywhere

0:03:04.720,0:03:07.176
if a collision actually happened,

0:03:07.200,0:03:09.576
thousands of smaller pieces of debris

0:03:09.600,0:03:11.520
becoming new obstacles.

0:03:12.480,0:03:16.056
This is the paradigm[br]of the satellite industry.

0:03:16.080,0:03:18.216
Satellites that are no longer working

0:03:18.240,0:03:22.056
are often left to deorbit[br]over many, many years,

0:03:22.080,0:03:25.616
or only moved out of the way[br]as a temporary solution.

0:03:25.640,0:03:27.896
And there are no[br]international laws in space

0:03:27.920,0:03:30.560
to enforce us to clean up after ourselves.

0:03:30.948,0:03:33.178
Without disposing of dead satellites,

0:03:33.218,0:03:35.618
or taking action to clean up debris,

0:03:35.670,0:03:38.829
we are already polluters in outer space.

0:03:39.387,0:03:42.751
And this is largely in part[br]because us, all of us here,

0:03:42.831,0:03:45.934
rely on the services[br]that satellites provide us,

0:03:46.038,0:03:49.299
without really understanding the impacts[br]of our usage.

0:03:49.593,0:03:52.616
If we want to keep using our phones,[br]checking the weather,

0:03:52.688,0:03:55.997
and so many other[br]technological conveniences

0:03:56.053,0:03:58.520
afforded to us because of satellites,

0:03:58.600,0:04:01.267
we have to have a clean up plan in place.

0:04:02.280,0:04:04.536
So the world's first satellite, Sputnik I,

0:04:04.560,0:04:06.816
was launched in 1957,

0:04:06.840,0:04:10.480
and in that year, there were[br]only a total of three launch attempts.

0:04:11.120,0:04:14.656
Decades later and dozens of countries[br]from all around the world

0:04:14.680,0:04:18.055
have launched thousands[br]of more satellites into orbit,

0:04:18.079,0:04:21.815
and the frequency of launches[br]is only going to increase in the future,

0:04:21.839,0:04:24.416
especially if you consider[br]things like the possibility

0:04:24.440,0:04:28.040
of 900-plus satellite[br]constellations being launched.

0:04:29.160,0:04:31.216
Now, we send satellites[br]to different orbits

0:04:31.240,0:04:33.296
depending on what they're needed for.

0:04:33.320,0:04:35.656
One of the most common places[br]we send satellites

0:04:35.680,0:04:37.256
is the low Earth orbit,

0:04:37.280,0:04:39.256
possibly to image the surface of Earth

0:04:39.280,0:04:41.680
at up to about 2,000 kilometers altitude.

0:04:42.312,0:04:46.442
Satellites there are naturally buffeted[br]by Earth's atmosphere,

0:04:46.500,0:04:48.436
so their orbits naturally decay,

0:04:48.460,0:04:49.996
and they'll eventually burn up,

0:04:50.020,0:04:51.980
probably within a couple of decades.

0:04:52.740,0:04:54.836
Another common place we send satellites

0:04:54.860,0:04:56.516
is the geostationary orbit

0:04:56.540,0:04:59.140
at about 35,000 kilometers altitude.

0:04:59.620,0:05:03.796
Satellites there remain in the same place[br]above Earth as the Earth rotates,

0:05:03.820,0:05:08.100
which enables things like communications[br]or television broadcast, for example.

0:05:08.740,0:05:13.060
Satellites in high orbits like these[br]could remain there for centuries.

0:05:14.260,0:05:17.436
And then there's the orbit[br]coined "the graveyard,"

0:05:17.460,0:05:20.076
the ominous junk or disposal orbits,

0:05:20.100,0:05:22.956
where some satellites[br]are intentionally placed

0:05:22.980,0:05:24.196
at the end of their life

0:05:24.220,0:05:27.980
so that they're out of the way[br]of common operational orbits.

0:05:29.000,0:05:33.576
Of the nearly 7,000 satellites[br]launched since the late 1950s,

0:05:33.600,0:05:36.960
only about one in seven[br]is currently operational,

0:05:37.560,0:05:40.456
and in addition to the satellites[br]that are no longer working,

0:05:40.480,0:05:43.976
there's also hundreds of thousands[br]of marble-sized debris

0:05:44.000,0:05:46.416
and millions of paint chip-sized debris

0:05:46.440,0:05:48.440
that are also orbiting around the Earth.

0:05:49.080,0:05:51.856
Space debris is a major risk[br]to space missions,

0:05:51.880,0:05:55.880
but also to the satellites[br]that we rely on each and every day.

0:05:56.720,0:06:00.136
Now, because space debris and junk[br]has become increasingly worrisome,

0:06:00.160,0:06:02.776
there have been some national[br]and international efforts

0:06:02.800,0:06:04.296
to develop technical standards

0:06:04.320,0:06:07.240
to help us limit the generation[br]of additional debris.

0:06:07.680,0:06:09.936
So for example, there are recommendations

0:06:09.960,0:06:12.056
for those low-Earth orbiting spacecraft

0:06:12.080,0:06:15.496
to be made to deorbit in under 25 years,

0:06:15.520,0:06:17.616
but that's still a really long time,

0:06:17.640,0:06:20.960
especially if a satellite[br]hasn't been working for years.

0:06:21.520,0:06:24.576
There's also mandates[br]for those dead geostationary spacecraft

0:06:24.600,0:06:26.840
to be moved into a graveyard orbit.

0:06:27.680,0:06:31.376
But neither of these guidelines[br]is binding under international law,

0:06:31.400,0:06:36.176
and the understanding is that they will be[br]implemented through national mechanisms.

0:06:36.200,0:06:38.656
These guidelines are also not long-term,

0:06:38.680,0:06:40.096
they're not proactive,

0:06:40.120,0:06:43.456
nor do they address[br]the debris that's already up there.

0:06:43.480,0:06:47.320
They're only in place[br]to limit the future creation of debris.

0:06:47.880,0:06:51.040
Space junk is no one's responsibility.

0:06:52.025,0:06:54.748
So, I grew up with the huge appreciation[br]for the outdoors

0:06:54.780,0:06:58.855
and the keen sense of our footprint[br]on the environments we interact with.

0:06:58.910,0:07:01.275
One of the foremost codes[br]of outdoor conduct

0:07:01.323,0:07:03.013
is the "leave no trace" policy

0:07:03.045,0:07:04.966
where we show care and respect

0:07:04.990,0:07:06.799
for our wild [unclear] on Earth,

0:07:06.839,0:07:09.506
doing our part to protect our resources.

0:07:09.800,0:07:12.866
Here on Earth, it's a bit easier[br]to visualize waste

0:07:12.903,0:07:14.593
in our natural environments.

0:07:14.641,0:07:16.841
We can see litter in our streets,

0:07:16.887,0:07:19.887
in our neighborhoods[br]and even in our oceans.

0:07:20.800,0:07:23.268
The orbital environment is no different -

0:07:23.316,0:07:26.450
it demands our care,[br]it demands our attention

0:07:26.475,0:07:28.542
and it demands our stewardship.

0:07:28.752,0:07:31.990
Because space is simply[br]a different kind of wilderness

0:07:32.024,0:07:33.624
that we need to protect.

0:07:33.847,0:07:35.807
We need a "leave no trace"policy

0:07:35.839,0:07:39.577
extending all the way[br]into the orbital environment and beyond.

0:07:39.800,0:07:42.847
And fostering a collective[br]sense of responsibility

0:07:42.903,0:07:44.903
can help us reduce our impact.

0:07:46.280,0:07:49.136
Now, Mount Everest is actually[br]an interesting comparison

0:07:49.160,0:07:52.376
of a new approach to how[br]we interact with our environments,

0:07:52.400,0:07:54.696
as it's often given the dubious honor

0:07:54.720,0:07:57.720
of being the world's highest garbage dump.

0:07:58.640,0:08:01.896
Decades after the first conquest[br]of the world's highest peak,

0:08:01.920,0:08:04.176
tons of rubbish left behind by climbers

0:08:04.200,0:08:06.136
has started to raise concern,

0:08:06.160,0:08:08.896
and you may have read in the news[br]that there's speculation

0:08:08.920,0:08:10.976
that Nepal will crack down on mountaineers

0:08:11.000,0:08:14.985
with stricter enforcement[br]of penalties and legal obligations.

0:08:15.700,0:08:18.116
The goal, of course,[br]is to persuade climbers

0:08:18.140,0:08:20.316
to clean up after themselves,

0:08:20.340,0:08:25.236
so maybe local not-for-profits will pay[br]climbers who bring down extra waste,

0:08:25.260,0:08:28.740
or expeditions might organize[br]voluntary cleanup trips.

0:08:29.220,0:08:31.476
And yet still many climbers feel

0:08:31.500,0:08:34.740
that independent groups[br]should police themselves.

0:08:35.220,0:08:38.035
There's no simple or easy answer,

0:08:38.059,0:08:41.116
and even well-intentioned[br]efforts at conservation

0:08:41.140,0:08:42.980
often run into problems.

0:08:43.419,0:08:46.516
But that doesn't mean[br]we shouldn't do everything in our power

0:08:46.540,0:08:49.860
to protect the environments[br]that we rely and depend on,

0:08:50.540,0:08:54.556
and like Everest, the remote location[br]and inadequate infrastructure

0:08:54.580,0:08:55.996
of the orbital environment

0:08:56.020,0:08:58.380
make waste disposal a challenging problem.

0:08:59.020,0:09:01.556
But we simply cannot reach new heights

0:09:01.580,0:09:04.636
and create an even higher garbage dump,

0:09:04.660,0:09:06.820
one that's out of this world.

0:09:08.380,0:09:09.596
The reality of space

0:09:09.620,0:09:12.196
is that if a component[br]on a satellite breaks down,

0:09:12.220,0:09:15.116
there really are limited[br]opportunities for repairs,

0:09:15.140,0:09:17.180
and only at great cost.

0:09:17.860,0:09:21.356
But what if we were smarter[br]about how we designed satellites?

0:09:21.380,0:09:22.676
What if all satellites,

0:09:22.700,0:09:24.996
regardless of what country[br]they were built in,

0:09:25.020,0:09:26.916
had to be standardized in some way

0:09:26.940,0:09:29.476
for recycling, servicing

0:09:29.500,0:09:30.980
or active deorbiting?

0:09:31.660,0:09:35.196
What if there actually were[br]international laws with teeth

0:09:35.220,0:09:37.996
that enforced end-of-life[br]disposal of satellites

0:09:38.020,0:09:40.156
instead of moving them out of the way

0:09:40.180,0:09:41.780
as a temporary solution?

0:09:42.660,0:09:45.596
Or maybe satellite manufacturers[br]need to be charged a deposit

0:09:45.620,0:09:47.916
to even launch a satellite into orbit,

0:09:47.940,0:09:50.396
and that deposit would only be returned

0:09:50.420,0:09:52.956
if the satellite was disposed of properly

0:09:52.980,0:09:55.700
or if they cleaned up[br]some quota of debris.

0:09:56.540,0:09:59.116
Or maybe a satellite[br]needs to have technology on board

0:09:59.140,0:10:00.900
to help accelerate deorbit.

0:10:01.820,0:10:04.076
There are some encouraging signs.

0:10:04.100,0:10:08.796
The UK's TechDemoSat-1,[br]launched in 2014, for example,

0:10:08.820,0:10:10.756
was designed for end-of-life disposal

0:10:10.780,0:10:12.716
via a small drag sail.

0:10:12.740,0:10:15.316
This works for the satellite[br]because it's small,

0:10:15.340,0:10:19.036
but satellites that are higher[br]or in larger orbits

0:10:19.060,0:10:21.916
or are larger altogether,[br]like the size of school buses,

0:10:21.940,0:10:24.356
will require other disposal options.

0:10:24.380,0:10:27.356
So maybe you get into things[br]like high-powered lasers

0:10:27.380,0:10:29.196
or tugging using nets or tethers,

0:10:29.220,0:10:31.540
as crazy as those sound in the short term.

0:10:32.260,0:10:34.156
And then one really cool possibility

0:10:34.180,0:10:37.500
is the idea of orbital tow trucks[br]or space mechanics.

0:10:37.940,0:10:39.556
Imagine if a robotic arm

0:10:39.580,0:10:41.436
on some sort of space tow truck

0:10:41.460,0:10:43.756
could fix the broken components[br]on a satellite,

0:10:43.780,0:10:45.620
making them usable again.

0:10:46.340,0:10:48.276
Or what if that very same robotic arm

0:10:48.300,0:10:50.636
could refuel the propellant tank[br]on a spacecraft

0:10:50.660,0:10:52.636
that relies on chemical propulsion

0:10:52.660,0:10:56.139
just like you or I would refuel[br]the fuel tanks on our cars?

0:10:56.659,0:10:58.316
Robotic repair and maintenance

0:10:58.340,0:11:02.060
could extend the lives of hundreds[br]of satellites orbiting around the Earth.

0:11:03.380,0:11:06.276
Whatever the disposal[br]or cleanup options we come up with,

0:11:06.300,0:11:09.276
it's clearly not just a technical problem.

0:11:09.300,0:11:14.356
There's also complex space laws[br]and politics that we have to sort out.

0:11:14.380,0:11:18.540
Simply put, we haven't found a way[br]to use space sustainably yet.

0:11:19.820,0:11:22.716
Exploring, innovating[br]to change the way we live and work

0:11:22.740,0:11:24.716
are what we as humans do,

0:11:24.740,0:11:26.236
and in space exploration,

0:11:26.260,0:11:29.516
we're literally moving[br]beyond the boundaries of Earth.

0:11:29.540,0:11:33.196
But as we push thresholds[br]in the name of learning and innovation,

0:11:33.220,0:11:38.700
we must remember that accountability[br]for our environments never goes away.

0:11:39.620,0:11:43.796
There is without doubt congestion[br]in the low Earth and geostationary orbits,

0:11:43.820,0:11:46.156
and we cannot keep[br]launching new satellites

0:11:46.180,0:11:48.476
to replace the ones that have broken down

0:11:48.500,0:11:50.556
without doing something about them first,

0:11:50.580,0:11:53.036
just like we would never[br]leave a broken down car

0:11:53.060,0:11:54.460
in the middle of the highway.

0:11:55.203,0:11:57.418
Earth's orbit is not a limitless resource

0:11:57.459,0:11:59.251
and the problem will only get worse

0:11:59.291,0:12:02.235
without a significant change[br]to our behaviors.

0:12:02.292,0:12:05.005
We need a global and collective cimmitment

0:12:05.038,0:12:08.104
to shared responsibilities[br]beyond our planet.

0:12:09.236,0:12:12.736
So, today I want to leave each[br]and every one of you with a challenge.

0:12:12.761,0:12:15.228
And that's to become a space steward.

0:12:15.360,0:12:16.936
Next time you use your phone,

0:12:16.960,0:12:19.456
check the weather or use your GPS,

0:12:19.480,0:12:23.736
think about the satellite technologies[br]that make those activities possible.

0:12:23.760,0:12:25.616
But also think about the very impact

0:12:25.640,0:12:28.936
that the satellites have[br]on the environment surrounding Earth,

0:12:28.960,0:12:33.656
and help spread the message[br]that together we must reduce our impact.

0:12:33.680,0:12:36.216
Earth orbit is breathtakingly beautiful

0:12:36.240,0:12:38.816
and our gateway to exploration.

0:12:38.840,0:12:41.360
It's up to us to keep it that way.

0:12:42.760,0:12:43.976
Thank you.

0:12:44.000,0:12:46.080
(Applause)