Secure World Foundation Newsletter

February 2019

Insight - Boom or Bust in Space Resources Policy

By Ian Christensen, Director of Private Sector Programs 

Since 2015, the topic of private sector access to, development, and utilization of space resources has attracted considerable attention in national and multilateral space policy fora. Popular imagination has been engaged by breathless media portrayals of the trillions to be made in a new space gold rush. The United States passed the Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act and Luxembourg also passed national legislation, both of which created formal domestic legal frameworks for commercial space resources utilization. And pioneering companies in the United States, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere pushed forward in early stages of business plans focused on space resources development.

However, the late 2018 acquisition, and thus the apparent end of their asteroid mining plans, of two prominent U.S start-ups - Deep Space Industries (DSI) and Planetary Resources International (PRI) - has led some to suggest that the asteroid mining bubble has burst.  Although this was definitely a setback for near-term commercial viability, important policy and legal work related to commercial space resources development need to continue...continue reading.

Events

Jan 28, 2019
SWF Facilitates Discussions on Priorities for South Korean Space Situational Awareness
SWF and the Korean Aerospace Research Institute co-hosted an invite-only 2-day workshop where participants undertook a wide-ranging examination of global space situational awareness (SSA) trends, the state of SSA capabilities internationally, and drivers for improving SSA and meeting future SSA needs. The workshop aimed to increase the understanding of SSA issues in Korea, and to facilitate the dialogues between and among the international experts and key stakeholders in Korea on potential future SSA policy and capabilities, thereby promoting greater collaboration and cooperation to enhance SSA for safe and responsible space activities. 

Director of Program Planning Brian Weeden gave presentations on trends in national security space and U.S. policies and capabilities for SSA and moderated a panel on improving SSA data sharing. Director of Private Sector Programs Ian Christensen gave presentations on trends in commercial space and commercial SSA capabilities. Washington Office Director Victoria Samson moderated a panel on the link between SSA and national security and also participated in a panel on options for Korean SSA capabilities.

Staff Activities and Presentations

Jan 14, 2019
SWF Attends the American Meteorological Society's Annual Meeting
Project Manager Josh Wolny attended the 99th American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. Government employees were unable to attend due to the government shutdown, but the meeting still hosted approximately 3,000 meteorologists, researchers, and students. Mr. Wolny engaged with the space weather symposium and other young professionals interested in space sustainability.

Jan 28, 2019
SWF Participates in Data.Space Conference 2019
Director of Space Applications Programs Krystal Wilson participated in a panel and fireside chat at the Data.Space 2019 conference in Glasgow, Scotland. The panel, Humanitarian.Space, focused on discussing such topics as ending poverty, ensuring equity and social justice, and how solving global humanitarian challenges requires a global perspective. 

Feb 4, 2019
SWF Speaks at UN GGE Intersessional Meeting
Executive Director Peter Martinez spoke at the open-ended intersessional informal consultative meeting on further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space, held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, as part of the work being done on the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) focusing on the same issue. Dr. Martinez participated in the panel intended to promote an exchange with the civil society sector. Panelists discussed pressing challenges to space security, debated how the GGE could help increase security and stability, and suggested ways in which to increase transparency and confidence building measures. 

Experts in the Media

Jan 6, 2019
Lift-off for China-US rivalry over space’s new frontiers
Director of Program Planning Brian Weeden Quoted by South China Morning Post on US-China Rivalry in Space.

Jan 20, 2019
The Military is Looking at Ways to Intercept Nukes from Space - But Experts Say It's Not Feasible
Dr. Weeden quoted by The Verge on feasibility of Trump's call For space-based missile defense.

Jan 26, 2019
Apogeo Spatial Expert Interview Features SWF Advisor William Parker
SWF Advisor Bill Parker interviewed in Apogeo Spatial Fall 2018 Issue.

Feb 3, 2019
Leaner Space Force woos skeptics in Congress
Dr. Weeden quoted by Politico on the feasibility of a Space Corps.

Publications

Jan 1, 2019
New Policies Needed to Advance Space Mining
Director of Private Sector Programs Ian Christensen co-publishes article in Winter 2019 Issue of Issues in Science and Technology.

Announcement

Jan 1, 2019
2019 Updates to Advisory Committee and Board of Directors Announced
This year, SWF announces the departure of one long time Board Member, Rachel Yates. Her contributions and dedication to the organization will be missed, and we wish her the best as she moves on to other endeavors.

We welcome Dr. Angie Bukley to the SWF Board of Directors. Dr. Bukley is the Director for Program Formulation and Partnerships in the Space and Technology Directorate at The Aerospace Corporation, and previously served on SWF's Advisory Committee.

SWF is also pleased to welcome Ms. Laura Delgado López to SWF's Advisory Committee. Ms. López is a Policy Analyst at the Strategic Integration and Management Division of the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and the Editor-in-Chief of Space Policy, a peer-reviewed publication focused on the interdisciplinary study of space policy. Most recently at Harris Corporation's Space & Intelligence Systems, Ms. Delgado López brings forth a diverse set of experience to contribute to the expertise of the Advisory Committee.

SWF also thanks Richard DalBello, Vice President of Business Development and Government Affairs at Virgin Galactic, for recommitting to another term on the advisory committee.

We deeply appreciate the support and guidance provided by all members of our board and advisory committee as SWF continues to work toward collaborative solutions for space sustainability.

Jan 21, 2019
Secure World Foundation Winter 2019 Internship
SWF is looking for a motivated candidate to support a research project on the use of terminology in the commercial / private space sector domain. The fellow will perform their duties as a key member of the research team including external partners at the Caelus Foundation. This position reports to Ian Christensen, Director of Private Sector Programs, and will be based out of SWF’s Headquarters in Broomfield, CO.

Qualified candidates, please send a cover letter and your resume outlining your work experience, education, and other skills to jobs@swfound.org. Title the subject line of your email: COMX Intern. No phone calls, please. Deadline for applications is February 11, 2019, but earlier submission is encouraged. Start date is negotiable but ideally would be in March 2019. More more information, click here. 

Jan 26, 2019
SWF Welcomes Howard Chang to SWF's Washington, D.C. Office 
Howard Chang is a third year JD student at Georgetown University. Mr. Chang's externship will focus on space law, researching the preparatory works of the Outer Space Treaty and select UN COPUOS documents.