UN Outer Space Registry Offline Since January 2025, Obscuring Launch Data Amid Militarization Surge

The outage affects a transparency mechanism created to reduce Cold War miscalculations by requiring states to report launch dates, orbits, and purposes. New Scientist confirmed the database missing since early 2025, while the underlying treaty obligations continue. No technical advisory or restoration timeline has been issued by the Office for Outer Space Affairs.

Cross-referenced data from the US Space Force's 18th Space Defense Squadron and ESA's DISCOS catalog show continued launches, including dual-use systems and recent Russian ASAT-related tests. The absence removes the sole multilateral public ledger at a moment when commercial constellations and counter-space capabilities expand without shared verification protocols.

Analysts at Secure World Foundation note that degraded transparency correlates with stalled UN COPUOS discussions on space security norms. Historical patterns from the 1980s demonstrate that missing launch registries preceded accelerated testing cycles; current gaps coincide with increased orbital maneuvering reports in classified SSA feeds.

Restoration would require either direct UN Secretariat intervention or coordinated diplomatic requests from at least the US, China, and Russia. Absent that, states will rely on national catalogs, fragmenting the shared picture and raising misperception risks during future close approaches.