Colliding Interests: Solving the Space Debris Crisis Through US-China Cooperation

Authors

• Grace E. Mannion

First Page

614

Abstract

As human activity in outer space accelerates, the accumulation of space debris in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) presents an increasingly urgent threat to global infrastructure, economic stability, and the future of space exploration. This Note examines the regulatory and geopolitical challenges underlying the space debris crisis, with particular attention to the fragmented nature of existing international legal frameworks. Current regimes, including the Outer Space Treaty and the Liability Convention, establish broad principles of cooperation and liability but fail to meaningfully address the rapid growth of orbital debris driven by both state and commercial actors. Focusing on the United States and China as the two most significant contributors to space activity, this Note argues that the absence of coordination between these leading space powers exacerbates the risk of catastrophic outcomes, including collision cascades such as the Kessler Syndrome. In particular, it analyzes the Wolf Amendment, a U.S. legislative restriction that limits bilateral cooperation with China and contends that this constraint undermines effective global governance of space debris. Ultimately, this Note advances the argument that mitigating the space debris crisis requires a shift from unilateral and competitive approaches toward cooperative, transnational solutions. By reassessing existing legal barriers and prioritizing collaboration between major spacefaring nations, the international community can better safeguard the long-term sustainability of outer space as a shared global resource.

Recommended Citation

Grace E. Mannion, Colliding Interests: Solving the Space Debris Crisis Through US-China Cooperation, 51 Brook. J. Int'l L. 614 (2026).
Available at: https://brooklynworks.brooklaw.edu/bjil/vol51/iss2/7