The international
community has realized that space debris is a global concern that should be
addressed with a sense of urgency. Keeping in mind the limitations of the
prevailing normative framework, the optimal solution would be to address the
problem by way of universal lawmaking. However, any universal lawmaking effort
presupposes the creation of a uniform definition of space debris. Non-binding
international standards and national documents currently contain a variety of
definitions. The coexistence of divergent definitions may lead to fragmentation
and legal uncertainty, and their restrictive approach may become untenable as
humankind ventures deeper into outer space. Based upon these considerations and
adopting a proactive mindset, the present paper aims to re-evaluate the
prevailing definitions with a view to proposing a comprehensive, feasible and
durable definition covering all extant and future forms of space debris. The
analysis commences with an overview of selected universal, regional and
national definitions. This is followed by the identification, reassessment and
possible revision of shared elements of the definitions concerned. The
reassessed and revised elements are then assembled to propose a new definition
to contribute to the ongoing discussion on space debris.