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SWF October 2017 Newsletter
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Upcoming Events
Oct 24, 2017
The Role of Citizen Observatories and Crowdsourcing Community in GEOSS

Upcoming Engagements
Oct 10-13, 2017
Brian Weeden will participate in the third MILAMOS Project Workshop in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Oct 11-12, 2017
Ian Christensen will moderate a panel session at the 2017 International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight in Las Cruces, New Mexico

Oct 17, 2017
Victoria Samson will speak at "Under Stress: Space Security in 2017" at the UN headquarters in New York City, New York

Oct 24-26, 2017
Victoria Samson will moderate a panel addressing cyber security threats at the Space Tech Expo in Bremen, Germany

Nov 6-9, 2017
Chris Johnson, Michael Simpson, and Krystal Wilson will attend the United Nations/United Arab Emirates High Level Forum: Space as a Driver for Socio-Economic Sustainable Development in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Nov 9, 2017
Brian Weeden will speak at "A New Space Race" conference organized by The Economist in Seattle, Washington

Secure World Foundation Newsletter

October 2017

Insight - 68th International Astronautical Congress

By Victoria Samson, Washington Office Director

On Sept. 25-29, 2017, the 68th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) was held in Adelaide, Australia. This event with 4,500 delegates marked the annual gathering of the world’s space experts. The Secure World Foundation (SWF) used this opportunity to get very involved in the discussions being held by moderating and speaking on panels, presenting papers, supporting young professionals, and participating in planning committees. 
A plenary session for the next generation of space leaders discussed “Innovative Methods for Assured and Secure Access to Space Resources.” Moderated by SWF Executive Director Michael Simpson, this session examined industry, academic, agency, national, and international efforts being taken to address the broad spectrum of human-made and environmental challenges which could interfere with assured and secure access to space assets. The panel allowed students and young professionals to speak about what legal and economic systems are needed to properly manage the space environment and ensure that it is safe for all to operate in and use for the long-term...continue reading.

Events

Sep 6, 2017
Second Annual Roundtable on Value and Benefit Creation in Commercial Space Held in Washington, DC
SWF, Reed Smith LLP, and the Heinlein Prize Trust held a small, invite-only Roundtable on Value and Benefit Creation in Commercial Space at the Washington, DC offices of Reed Smith. The event was structured as an interactive investor and industry actor discussion of how developments in commercial space are creating and sustaining value and benefit beyond the start-up, angel and venture capital phases, with a focus on how value and benefit from non-traditional commercial space activities are identified, described, and communicated. 
Themes discussed during the Roundtable included: the changing nature of competition; the role of government as a customer; alternative structures for financial models to support sustaining commercial space investment; the structure and nature of the emerging in-space economy; and the perception of risk in commercial space ventures. A summary report will be published by SWF in the near future.

Sep 27, 2017
SWF Leads Discussions on Commercial SSA and Space Traffic Management at 2017 AMOS Conference
SWF staff continued the tradition of contributing to the annual Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference. SWF actively participated in the Policy Forum held at the beginning of each day of the conference, which consisted of a keynote speaker followed by a panel discussion on a policy topic related to space situational awareness (SSA). SWF also organized the fifth AMOS Dialogue in Maui to discuss future scenarios for global SSA. 

Oct 2, 2017
SWF Supports Space Generation Congress 2017
SWF’s Project Managers Ian Christensen and Krystal Wilson served as technical experts at the recent Space Generation Advisory Council’s (SGAC) 2017 Space Generation Congress (SGC) in Adelaide, Australia. This year’s SGC was well-attended with over 150 students and young professionals participating in three days of high-level lectures, working groups, cultural events, and networking opportunities. SWF is pleased to have been able to sponsor the Working Group on Space Resources Governance, whose aim was to consider and articulate views and opinions a governance framework for space resources.

Staff Activities and Presentations

Sep 8, 2017
Fifty Years of Space Law - Space Law in 50 Years
Space Law Advisor Chris Johnson participated in the Hague Academy of International Law’s 2017 Centre for Studies and Research "50 Years of Space Law - Space Law in 50 Years" in the Hague, Netherlands. Mr. Johnson's assigned chapter is "Space Law: A Self-Contained Regime?" and he hopes that it will be chosen for the resulting publication, due to be published by next summer by the Hague Academy.

Sep 15, 2017
American Bar Association Forum on Air and Space Law Discusses International Law and National Space Legislation
Mr. Johnson spoke at this year's American Bar Association Forum on Air and Space Law annual conference in Montreal, Quebec. Mr. Johnson spoke about the current state of international space law, its relationship with other regimes of international law, the growing diversity or fragmentation of sources of space law and forums where space law is developed, and the potential for shortcomings in the law in light of emerging activities in space activities. 

Sep 19, 2017
The Hague Space Resources Governance Working Group Releases Draft Building Blocks
Following its most recent meeting in Leiden, the Netherlands from September 11-13, The Hague Space Resources Governance Working Group (WG) has released a set of 19 Draft Building Blocks for the Development of an International Framework on Space Resources Activities. The building blocks are intended to lay the groundwork for international discussions on the potential development of an international framework for the governance of space resources, without prejudice to its form and structure. Comments are welcome until the July 1, 2018 to the following address: spaceresources@law.leidenuniv.nl. SWF is a founding Partner in the WG and SWF's Executive Director, Dr. Michael Simpson, serves as a co-chair of the WG. Project Manager Ian Christensen and Space Law Advisor Chris Johnson have also participated in the WG's activities.

Sep 28, 2017
SWF Team Authors 2017 Space Law Moot Court Problem
This year's Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court problem authored by Dr. Simpson and Mr. Johnson poses this question: Can two countries with a long history of peaceful relations avoid hostilities when their values and operations clash on the surface of the Moon? The problem presented several issues that had never appeared in previous Space Law Moot Court Cases: it provided a scenario in which one of the parties to the case had withdrawn from the Outer Space Treaty, it explored the possibility of resolving one element of the problem ex aequo et bono, and it involved a space mineral resources element that evoked ongoing discussion about commercial mining in space. The World Finals of the Moot Court Competition pitted a team from the University of Mississippi, coached by by former SWF intern Andrea Harrington, against a team from the National Law School of India. After over an hour of skilled arguments from the contestants, the judges awarded first place honors to the Indian team.

Experts in the Media

Sep 6, 2017
SpaceX to Launch Secret Spy Craft Mission
Director of Program Planning Brian Weeden discusses the implications of X-37B Launching on SpaceX with Bloomberg Technology.

Sep 12, 2017
There's a Speeding Mass of Space Junk Orbiting Earth, Smashing Into Things
Dr. Weeden quoted by the Wall Street Journal on the potential risks from large satellite constellations.

Sep 22, 2017
First Space Mining Transaction in 10 Years
Executive Director Michael Simpson quoted by SpaceDaily on space mineral resources and space law.

Sep 28, 2017
Space Surveillance Experts Convene at 18th AMOS Conference in Wailea
Dr. Weeden quoted by The Maui News concerning the 18th AMOS Conference and space situational awareness.

Sep 29, 2017
18th Annual AMOS Conference Focuses on "Space Security"
Dr. Weeden quoted by Maui Now concerning space security at the 18th AMOS Conference.

Oct 4, 2017
SpaceX and OneWeb Broadband Satellites Raise Fears About Space Debris
Dr. Weeden quote by Arstechnica on the space debris challenges of large satellite constellations.

Publications


Sep 14, 2017
UNIDIR Publishes Space Security 2017 - Conference Report
The 2017 United Nations Institute of Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) Space Security Conference has published the conference report. SWF co-organized "The Outer Space Treaty's 50th Anniversary: Reviewing the Regime" alongside UNIDIR and the Simons Foundation Canada. The report is available here.

Sep 22, 2017
How the US National Space Council Should Approach Space Traffic Management
Director of Program Planning Brian Weeden published a commentary piece in the September 11 issue of SpaceNews on the policy aspects of space traffic management (STM). In the piece, Dr. Weeden describes why STM is an important issue for ensuring the sustainable future of space activities and achieving the goals the Trump Administration has laid out for US leadership in space. The full article can be read at SpaceNews here.

Announcement

Sep 11, 2017
SWF Seeks Next Executive Director
Dedicated to promoting cooperative solutions for outer space sustainability, the Secure World Foundation (SWF) annually engages in an ambitious and diverse program of activity worldwide that supports collaboratively developing norms of behavior to preserve the use of near Earth space. Leading that effort with a skilled team of only nine people requires a special touch and a commitment to collaborative management. With the impending retirement of our current Executive Director in June 2018, we are looking for a strong, capable leader who can continue to grow and mature the organization and ensure the long-term sustainability of our success. Interested candidates may obtain a comprehensive job description and application procedure here. Availability by mid-May 2018 is desirable to assure an orderly transition. An earlier transition could be considered if necessary. To receive full consideration, completed applications must be received by October 31, 2017.

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