A United Nations registry tracking all objects sent into space, created during the Cold War to reduce suspicion and promote openness, has been inaccessible for months because of an unexplained technical fault. The list normally records satellite launches worldwide but is currently unavailable. Jonathan McDowell of Durham University called the outage unacceptable amid growing space tensions and mutual accusations among major spacefaring nations. The UN Office for Outer Space Affairs maintains the registry under the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, where 104 countries discuss technical and safety matters. Established in 1961 and formalized by a 1974 convention, the system requires nations to report each object’s name, launch date and location, orbital details, and general purpose. The online index has shown only a notice about mandatory IT infrastructure changes, with the last recorded updates dated 23 February. McDowell noted that the absence leaves observers without official names or details for Russian, US, and other satellites, including secretive military ones that were previously listed with vague descriptions. Ram Jakhu of McGill University warned that the outage threatens international security and hampers treaty enforcement, especially after accidents involving space objects. Thomas Cheney of Northumbria University described the registry as a basic but symbolic transparency tool within a permissive legal framework, and linked the problem to broader UN funding shortfalls that have also shortened recent committee meetings.
