Uganda Urged to Seek Legal Action Against SpaceX Over Satellite Debris Incident

In May 2023, space debris from a U.S.-based SpaceX satellite launch fell across parts of western Uganda, scattering across the Kyegegwa, Sembabule, and Kyenjojo districts. The debris, which caused property damage over a 40-kilometre area, was analysed in a forensic report released by the National Forensic Sciences University Uganda (NFSU). The report examined both the origin and the impact of the debris. 

The report recommended that Uganda consider legal action against Elon Musk’s SpaceX, invoking Article 7 of the United Nations Outer Space Treaty. This article holds launching states liable for damage caused by their space objects. Uganda had until May 2024 to file a formal claim under the treaty.It remains unclear whether Uganda has pursued this action. While SpaceX has cooperated in cleanup efforts in past incidents, the company has maintained that most of its debris burns up upon re-entry. 

The forensic report, jointly prepared by NFSU and the Airforce, revealed that the debris consisted of “military-grade equipment.” Consisting of advanced materials like carbon fibre and specialised alloys, these fragments were resilient enough to survive the heat generated during re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. The report further identified the event as resulting from “defunct human-made objects in space, particularly in Earth orbit, which no longer serve a useful function.”

The report compared the incident to similar cases worldwide, highlighting instances where space debris has damaged private property, such as the large fragments discovered on farmland in Australia in 2022. It also cautioned that the increasing pace of space activity, coupled with uncontrolled debris, poses a growing risk of more frequent and potentially hazardous incidents in the future.