The recent destruction of a satellite in low-Earth orbit is shedding light again on the matter of our stewardship of the space environment, which should be responsible, sustainable and agreed to internationally. It is a founding and abiding principle of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) that space should be a global commons, open without impediment or interference to all nations that are pursuing the peaceful use of outer space. We encourage all nations with the capability to conduct military operations in space to refrain from any action that directly or indirectly interferes with the peaceful use of outer space. That destruction resulted in a debris cloud that is endangering spacecraft, small and large, that are conducting essential scientific research through observations of the Earth and its near-space environment, as well as essential astronomical observations. The debris cloud is at an altitude where it will remain and imperil spacecraft for many years.