Odin Space attends the launch of the Astra Carta at Buckingham Palace
June 28, 2023
Dr New was introduced to His Majesty at the reception, which brought together more than 100 leaders from across the global space sector.
The Astra Carta
The Astra Carta was convened by His Majesty through the Sustainable Markets Initiative, extending the principles of the Terra Carta beyond Earth. It sets out twelve articles intended to guide the private sector toward sustainable practice in space, covering the adoption of universal standards, the mitigation of space debris, equitable access to orbit, legal frameworks, and accountability across the space value chain.
The seal unveiled at the reception was designed by Sir Jony Ive. The evening followed a space sustainability symposium held earlier in the day at the Royal Society.
Why it matters for sub-centimeter debris
Debris mitigation sits among the founding articles of the framework rather than as a later addition. Most of the industry's attention, and most of the available data, concerns objects large enough to be tracked from the ground. Below that threshold sits a far larger population of fragments that are too small to be catalogued, cannot be avoided, and are capable of ending a mission.
That population is what Odin Space exists to measure. Without data on it, operators cannot quantify the risk they carry and insurers cannot price it.
Dr James New, co-founder and CEO of Odin Space: "It was a privilege to represent Odin at the Palace. That His Majesty convened the Astra Carta and hosted its launch himself says a great deal about how seriously he takes sustainability in space, and it has brought the subject an attention it would not otherwise have had. The framework treats debris mitigation as a founding principle, which is the right place for it. The part of the problem we work on is the sub-centimeter population, and it is lethal, unavoidable and almost entirely unmeasured."
Image: din Space co-founder and CEO Dr James New is introduced to His Majesty King Charles III at the launch of the Astra Carta, Buckingham Palace, 28 June 2023.
Odin Space delivers the first end-to-end intelligence on lethal, non-trackable space debris – providing the data layer needed to truly understand, manage, and insure against collision risk. Odin’s Nano Sensors and Scout Satellites work together as a distributed, always-on sensor network, revealing what's truly happening in orbit and alerting operators to emerging and evolving threats. Backed by partnerships with leading insurance brokers, Odin also powers the world’s first collision insurance product, leveraging forensic impact data to cut premiums by up to 100x. From mission design to in-orbit operations, Odin Space provides the insight and protection operators need to build safer missions and navigate an increasingly congested space domain.
For more information, visit odin.space.
