IADC is concerned with all technical issues of the space debris problem. The main objectives of IADC are to exchange results of research in the field of space debris, to cooperate in research activities and to identify debris mitigation options.

The 17-th IADC will discuss ways and methods to control the growing amount of orbiting debris. Radar and optical telescopes regularly track over 10,000 artificial objects in space.

The number of untrackable objects in the size range from 1 cm to 10 cm, that could seriously damage an operational spacecraft, is estimated at between 100,000 and 150,000.

The International Space Station (ISS) will be equipped with about 200 shields in order to defeat impacts of particulates up to about 1 � 2 cm size.

Some recent and current topics of the IADC include

• guidelines for the disposal of spacecraft in the geostationary orbit;
• data exchange procedure and communications for reentry of risk objects;
• common database of space objects;
• risk assessment for the 1999 Leonids and countermeasures;
• measures to reduce the growth of the debris population in Low-Earth Orbit.