The United States is party to the Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space and also the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts and the Return of Astronauts. The United States has been the world's leader in raising awareness about the dangers of man-made space debris and in developing ways of dealing with this consequence of human activity in space. The National Space Policy commits the United States to seek the minimization of space debris by government and nongovernment activities. The United States should continue to play a strong leadership role in the Inter-Agency Debris Coordination Committee, at the United Nations, and elsewhere, for the minimization of man-made space debris.

At the same time, it should be recognized that space debris produced by human activity is quite low compared to that produced by nature. To minimize does not mean stopping all activities that would or might produce some debris. It is a relative not an absolute matter. U.S. national security requirements could take precedence over the goal of minimization of space debris –for example, the testing and use of ballistic missile defense interceptors against objects in space that would threaten populations, armed forces, and infrastructure.

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U.S. State Department. Study on Space Policy: Report of the International Security Advisory Board. Washington, D.C.: U.S. State Department, April 27, 2007. [ 9 quotes ] [ page 10 ]