ROOM
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Space Security
International Study on
Global Space Governance
S
ome space lawyers and nations consider
what we have examined in our two-year
international study on ‘global space
governance’ as being a very restricted
subject indeed. They would argue that global space
governance should only address and consider a very
limited amount of ‘established space law’, essentially
meaning the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, its
supplementary international agreements and
perhaps a few international law precedents created
over a significant period of time.
This global study has involved over 80 space
scientists and engineers, space business people,
regulators, space lawyers and policy experts from
over 25 countries around the world.
It addresses international, regional and national
space laws and policies around the world,
technology trends and future space activities that
are anticipated, along with regulatory mechanisms
that might help the future development and use of
outer space. It has considered emerging technical
trends and NewSpace entrepreneurial business.
This study has examined new and expanding
uses above commercial air space, increased use of
various types of Earth orbits, along with expanding
frequency needs and new commercial ventures
planning to use deep space to extract natural
resources and solar energy to return goods and
services to Earth, space colonisation and the
equitable sharing of space benefits.
This international and interdisciplinary study,
which was commissioned to fill the gaps and holes in
the fabric of global space governance, was launched
as a result of the so-called Montreal Declaration of
May 2014 at the 2nd Manfred Lachs Conference.
It has, in essence, broken most of the rules in
terms of what strict space law experts consider
the well defined realm normally designated space
law. Whereas space lawyers usually drill deep
into a particular facet of space law, this study was
broad and interdisciplinary. Whereas space lawyers
examine past precedent in great detail, this study
examined future trends and emerging regulatory
and policy questions.
In seeking to carry out a broad brush look at
all aspects of global space governance, we have
thus considered codes of conduct, national space
laws, safety and technical standards, transparency
of operations and confidence building measures,
especially with regard to space security and space
traffic management concerns.
We have endeavoured to identify institutional
reforms that might meet emerging space business
concerns and help smooth out disputed areas of
interpretation of international regulatory actions.
This intensive international study reached a
wide range of conclusions. We see the need for
some urgency to address the why, when and
how of space traffic management and orbital and
frequency allotments in the context of mounting
levels of commercial activities in Earth orbit,
orbital space debris, the planning for large-scale
constellations of satellites in low Earth orbit and
unregulated space mining.
Other drivers of concern to create improved global
space governance include the rapid expansion of
NewSpace entrepreneurial activities that involve new
types and lower cost launch vehicles, commercial
space stations, hypersonic transportation flights and
commercial space tourism flights.
There are also concerns about the possible
weaponisation of space and conflicts in space,
environmental concerns related to more intensive
launch schedules for private, civil government and
military space systems, as well as a realisation that
space systems are critical to weather monitoring,
disaster recovery, and monitoring and control of
climate change.
1
SpaceandSociety
SeriesEditor:
DouglasA.Vakoch
RamS. Jakhu
JosephN.Pelton
Editors
International
Study on
Global Space
Governance
GlobalGovernanceofOuterSpace
Jakhu ·Pelton
Eds.
In advance of the publication later this year of the International Study
on Global Space Governance, the editors Ram Jakhu and Joseph
Pelton summarise the study process and its findings, along with its
recommendations on how to move forward to create a NewSpace economy
and new regulatory gestalt for space activities - including economic, social
and cultural activities; research, technology, science and education; and
human existence off our planet.
