As space activity accelerates, keeping Earth’s orbits safe is one of the defining challenges of the decade. The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Zero Debris Technical Booklet sets an ambitious goal: a debris-neutral orbital environment by 2030. But experts warn that policy alone will not deliver this vision,  it demands rapid technological innovation, investment, and global coordination.

Two UK companies, Plextek and Aphelion Industries, are taking the lead. Both are developing breakthrough technologies that could make ESA’s Zero Debris Charter achievable within this decade.

“The industry still relies too heavily on theoretical models,” said Richard Jacklin, Commercial Lead for Space at Plextek. “We need real, in-orbit data to truly understand what’s happening above us,  and that’s exactly what we’re building.”

Plextek has developed compact millimetre-wave radar systems designed to detect micro-debris that ground sensors cannot see. These lightweight, low-power radars provide continuous, real-time situational awareness, improving collision avoidance and validating debris models.

Meanwhile, Aphelion Industries, based in Scotland, has created TARGE, a next-generation spacecraft armour system that shields satellites from lethal non-trackable (LNT) debris such as micrometeoroids and fragmentation-based threats. “Our armour makes collisions survivable and prevents secondary debris,” said James Snape, Founder of Aphelion Industries. “It’s lighter, more compact, and designed for the realities of modern satellite missions.”

Together, these technologies represent a layered approach to orbital safety,  Plextek’s radar provides early detection, while Aphelion’s armour offers last-line protection. The two systems can be integrated on the same spacecraft platform, enabling operators to both avoid and withstand impacts.

However, the companies stress that innovation alone is not enough. Achieving zero debris will require new funding models, international cooperation, and acceptance of dual-use technologies that span both civil and defence markets.

“The next 12 to 24 months are critical,” added Jacklin. “Technology exists. What’s needed now is commitment,  from agencies, governments, and industry, to deploy it at scale”, he concluded.