Global Warming and Space Junk: A Race Against Time

Swiss scientists aim to preserve the Alps' largest glacier amid accelerating ice loss due to climate change. Meanwhile, Japan's Astroscale partners with Indian companies Digantara and Bellatrix Aerospace to tackle space debris, eyeing operational bids in the Asia-Pacific region.

In an urgent bid to combat the effects of climate change, Swiss scientists expressed hope on Friday that the largest glacier in the Alps could still be partially preserved if global warming is limited to below two degrees Celsius. Significant ice loss is, however, seen as unavoidable. A recent UN report underscores the alarming rate at which glaciers are disappearing globally, with the past three years witnessing unprecedented glacial mass loss.

On another front, space debris management is gaining momentum. Japan's pioneering firm Astroscale has entered into strategic partnerships with Bengaluru's Digantara and Bellatrix Aerospace. Announced Friday, the collaborations aim at advancing technology and services for orbital junk removal. The partnerships are anticipated to facilitate Astroscale's inaugural operational ventures in the Asia-Pacific region, potentially within one to two years, according to Eddie Kato, president of Astroscale's Japan division.

These developments reflect an increasing global focus on sustainable practices, whether on Earth or in orbit, as experts and enterprises race against time to mitigate the risks posed by climate change and space debris accumulation.

(With inputs from agencies.)