Chair:
Carolin Frueh, Chair, PEDAS
Carolin Frueh, C. (USA), 2022 – 2026*
Vice-Chair:
Carmen Pardini (Italy), 2022 – 2026* (Carmen.Pardini – at – isti.cnr.it)
Terms of Reference:
The COSPAR Panel on Potentially Environmentally Detrimental Activities in Space (PEDAS) is concerned with perturbations of the terrestrial and planetary environments resulting from space activities. Typical examples are: space debris in Earth orbit, light pollution from satellites, pollution of the Earth’s atmosphere by rocket launches and re-entries, perturbation of the lunar environment by all human activities as well as possible perturbation of the Martian environment by space activities. The Panel acts on an ad hoc basis to evaluate questions of environmental impacts by space activities alone or together with other relevant organizations primarily to advise the international community, e.g., the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) of the United Nations.
* (after officer term) = second and final term in the office indicated
Related links:
The challenge of space debris: Near-Earth and Cislunar, Open Access Government, April 2022