ROOM
43
Space Security
AREAS OF CONCERN
POSSIBLE PATHWAYS FORWARD
Common heritage of
humankind issues
Recognise the limits but significance of the ‘Moon Agreement’ in seeking a way forward towards an organised governance system
for space mining. This involves trying to identify a new and viable structure to capitalise and develop technology to allow resource
extraction from space, such as the Intelsat international public-private organisation offered at the start of satellite communications
Explore possible precedents from ‘Law of the Sea’ or other sources of law for further development of the regulatory regime for space mining
Cosmic hazards and
planetary defence
Creation of an inter-agency committee of civil space agencies to better understand cosmic threats and potential of new ideas like
‘solar space shields’ to cope with coronal mass injections and climate change, the dangers of Earth’s changing magnetosphere, and
reduced protective shielding of the Van Allen Belts
Expand scope of IAWN (International Asteroid Warning Network) and SMPAG (Space Mission Planning Advisory Group) to explore new
technologies and concepts to cope with asteroids hitting Earth
Environmental concerns
Develop better understanding of environmental risks associated with expanded launch of rockets, spaceplanes and hypersonic craft,
and of systems that pollute the stratosphere the least
Improved space-based environmental monitoring systems
Globally agreed guidelines for deep space exploration and activities to prevent global viral pandemics from space
Frequency and orbital
allocations
Improved rules and enforcement powers for the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) to reduce jamming, ensure equitable
sharing of radio frequencies, require greater technical efficiency in frequency reuse and efficiency in new satellite systems and more
ably control orbital assignments to prevent runaway use of large-scale satellite constellations
New national laws to enforce frequency efficiency (terrestrially and in space) and limit runaway authorisations of satellite networking
systems
Orbital space debris
Improved and mandatory system to restrict the generation of space debris
Regulatory guidelines (including proper liability provision) to encourage active space debris removal
Process to ensure debris removal efforts do not constitute space weapons and most dangerous debris removed first
National space laws to enforce removal guidelines
Private NewSpace
initiatives standing under
international law
Place international responsibility and international liability more directly on owners of privately-held spacecraft or launch systems
Create national regulatory systems to implement such responsibility and liability
Fragility of space
security
Address concern that more and more space-based capabilities and vehicles designed to operate in so-called Protozone areas could
lead to hostilities in space. Systems to deal with cosmic hazards, systems that might deployed in the Protozone, robotic systems, high
altitude platform systems, etc. further increase these risks. Development of space weapons and preparations for use of force threaten
the use of space for peaceful purposes. Efforts to create space and Protozone traffic management need to include military forces and
seek controls to eliminate space warfare
Space & Protozone traffic
management
UN Mandate to UNCOPUOS and the International Civil Aviation Organization to develop new regulatory framework, together
with national agencies charged with aviation safety regulation, as well as space to create a new international traffic control and
management systems. This would oversee and coordinate safety for aircraft flights, spaceplane flights, spacecraft launches and
international hypersonic craft flights into the Protozone, as well as other international deployments of balloons, dark sky stations or
robotic flights into the stratospheric regions outside of prescribed national aerospace controls
Global Space
Organisation
UNCOPOUS should start considering the creation of a global space organisation, which would be indispensable for achieving the goal
of sustainable use of outer space for peaceful purposes and for the benefit of all states. This is becoming increasingly important since
numerous issues related to space (like space mining, cosmic hazards and planetary defence, orbital debris removal, space security,
space and Protozone traffic management, etc.) are becoming intertwined in terms of technology and policy. Such issues and concerns
need to be addressed in an international forum with permanent administrative and expert staff, and with active participation by States,
the private sector and civil society
There are multiple purposes for which this study
was conducted, although prime among them was
to assist UNCOPUOS in planning for the UNISPACE
+50 Conference in 2018. The table below lists just
some of the topics of concernwhere improved global
space governancemight help in the future. These
initiatives seek to assist the future development and
implementation of space science, space exploration,
space applications, and safer andmore effective
commercial utilisation of outer space. Progress inmany
areas of global space governancewill be required as we
move forward to embrace a global space economy in the
decades ahead.
Ram S. Jakhu & Joseph N. Pelton
Co-editors,
International Study on Global Space Governance
