Our Fragile Space – Protecting the Near-Space Environment

Our Fragile Space, Protecting the Near-Space Environment is a groundbreaking photography exhibition by Max Alexander that will be on display on the Arc Terrace at ICC Belfast, June 4 to July 9, coinciding with the UK Space Agency ISAM conference on June 4 & 5 at the same venue.

Our Fragile Space tells the story of how we need to become good stewards of orbital space as the number of satellites and grows exponentially; near-space has now become an extension of the Earth’s environment. In so doing the exhibition highlights the economic opportunity this imperative provides. This unique and fragile environment is a limited resource, with constellation satellites, rocket bodies and most of the space debris orbiting Earth at just 500 kilometres above our heads, the distance from Belfast to London to Edinburgh. The photographs are set both in the context of how important space is to our everyday lives, showing the socio-economic and scientific benefits, and also of anthropogenic change, of how we are polluting on the land, oceans, atmosphere and now this fourth domain of space. The project took Max Alexander on a journey through the space sector, space agencies, military, financial and insurance markets, academia, government and regulation. The series concludes with our orbital future: the global efforts including the leading role the UK is playing for active debris removal and the rapidly emerging field of space sustainability.

The exhibition has been influential in the UK and across Europe including at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI). It has ‘galvanised space sustainability policy for the UK government’ and has been shown at Lloyd’s of London, United Nations in New York and Vienna, Oculus World Trade in New York, the European Parliament, the New York Stock Exchange and The Mound in Edinburgh.