Key Environmental Indicators for Space

In January 2025 GNOSIS was commissioned by the UK Space Agency to seek the views of GNOSIS Members and the wider space community on the evidence base that underpins our collective understanding of how human activity in space is impacting on the space environment.

We began our study with a short survey to identify what research is currently available, or being planned, that measures:

• the magnitude of the debris catalogue, its size distribution, and its evolution 

• the active satellite population and how that is changing over time

• light pollution from space activities

• Radio Frequency (RF) utilisation/interference relating to spacecraft

• atmospheric pollution attributable to launch and de-orbiting space objects

• the impact of space weather and the meteor population 

The results of the survey were used to form the basis of two half-day workshops to explore the key themes. A comprehensive report of covering the material discussed during the workshops and the key findings is publicly available:

KEIS Report 2025

Further information can be found in the two pre-reading documents which were provided to invited delegates prior each workshop:

KEIS Review Document – Part 1

KEIS Review Document – Part 2

The recordings of the two workshops are available on our GNOSIS YouTube channel, or via the links below:

KEIS Workshop 1 recording

KEIS Workshop 2 recording

Please note: All the resources provided here are for open access and information sharing. They may be shared or cited with appropriate acknowledgement of the source, but must not be altered or presented in a misleading context.