King Charles Launches Astra Carta: Helping Promote Sustainability in The Space Industry

The King of England this week unveiled the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Astra Carta framework along with its seal, in an event attended by space industry leaders, scientists, astronauts, and even Brian May. 

The Astra Carta encourages business leaders to put their environmental and sustainability efforts at the heart of everything they do in the industry and was first announced in 2022 when The King was The Prince of Wales. 

Buckingham Palace strives for sustainability in space

The Astra Carta is largely focused on the private sector, and as well as encouraging sustainable practices it also extends to understanding the role that space has in making our Earth more sustainable, including using Earth observation technologies. The framework is designed to help with initiatives relating to energy and sustainability. 

Jennifer Jordan Saifi, chief executive officer of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, said that this was a call to action which unites public and private space industry stakeholders in a “shared commitment to the responsible and sustainable use of outer space”.

Saifi explained: “Inspired by the Terra Carta, which continues to chart a path towards a more sustainable future for Nature, People and Planet, this transformative framework extends those principles to the realms beyond our world. This means placing sustainability at the centre of all that we do across the space value chain.”

At the event at Buckingham Palace, The King met with astrophysicist Sir Brian May, John McFall, Tim Peake, and many other key industry figures. Ahead of the unveiling, Colonel Chris Hadfield, former astronaut and Commander of the International Space Station, addressed guests in the room.

The launch event also saw the design of The Astra Carta seal revealed to the public, this was designed by the legendary Sir Jony Ive and the team at the creative collective LoveFrom.

The King will be hoping that the Astra Carta motto; “to care for the infinite wonders of the universe” will resonate with a growing space industry in the UK.