Uncontrolled Reentries over Antarctica 2005-2025

This dataset supports the research presented in "Uncontrolled Reentries over Antarctica: Governance Gaps, Polar Vulnerabilities, and Implications for Human Security." The study investigates the growing occurrence of uncontrolled atmospheric reentries over the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) and examines their potential implications for Antarctic governance, environmental protection, scientific activities, and human security. The central hypothesis is that the increasing frequency of uncontrolled reentries represents an emerging governance challenge that has not yet been adequately addressed through existing cooperation mechanisms between the Antarctic Treaty System and the international space governance regime. The dataset integrates three complementary geospatial databases: (1) historical uncontrolled atmospheric reentry events obtained from Space-Track.org, including the estimated atmospheric reentry location (latitude and longitude), Decay Epoch (UTC), object identification, object type, country of origin, and associated metadata; (2) Antarctic research facilities compiled from publicly available COMNAP information and National Antarctic Programs; and (3) Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs) derived from the official Antarctic Treaty System database. All datasets were harmonized into a common geographic reference system (WGS84; EPSG:4326) to enable reproducible Geographic Information System (GIS) analyses. Spatial analyses performed using these datasets demonstrate that more than 400 uncontrolled atmospheric reentries occurred over the Antarctic region between 2005 and 2025, affecting areas where scientific infrastructure, environmentally protected sites, and operational activities coexist. The dataset enables users to identify spatial relationships between historical reentry events, Antarctic facilities, and protected areas, supporting quantitative assessments of potential exposure, proximity analyses, and regional distribution patterns. The dataset is intended to support research in space sustainability, Antarctic governance, environmental security, space situational awareness, and international relations. It may also be used for geospatial visualization, historical trend analysis, risk assessment, environmental monitoring, and policy-oriented studies concerning the interaction between outer space activities and the Antarctic Treaty System. Users should note that the geographic coordinates associated with each reentry event represent the estimated atmospheric reentry location provided by Space-Track Tracking and Impact Prediction (TIP) products. They do not represent confirmed ground impact locations or recovered debris sites. Consequently, the dataset should be interpreted as a historical record of estimated atmospheric reentry events suitable for spatial and governance analyses rather than as a catalogue of confirmed impact locations.