Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell explains why we need an international space traffic control agency

To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Cover image: © France 24 05:56 Issued on: 06/08/2026 - 10:06Modified: 06/08/2026 - 10:10 Carys Garland is pleased to welcome Jonathan McDowell, Astrophysicist, Space Sustainability Analyst and Spaceflight Historian at Durham University Space Research Centre (SPARC). As we enter a new era of sustained lunar activity, and space exploration, the accidental impact of a four-ton SpaceX rocket stage on the Moon exposes the growing gap between our expanding presence in space and the institutions needed to manage it responsibly. He moves beyond the mechanics of the collision to a broader reflection on sustainability, risk, and international coordination. While the impact itself presents no danger to Earth, it reveals how unmanaged space infrastructure could threaten future astronauts, scientific installations, and the long-term viability of lunar exploration. Keywords for this article