The report can be found here.

The Forum "Space for Human and Environmental Security in the Americas: Space policy, Long-term sustainability and Cyber- Health" was held in Mexico City, Mexico. The key objectives of the forum were to promote space policies that support the long-term sustainability of activities in outer space as essential elements of sustainable development on Earth; develop a road map for the participation of all countries of the Americas in the Project Cyber-Health, identifying actions that could be taken in the Context of Climate Change Adaptation; and exchange of information on national space policies and the possible identification of space application areas of common interest to countries from within and outside the Americas. SWF Brussels Office Director,

For more information click here.

Audio file (MP3)

Speakers:

Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, East Asia Non-Proliferation Program, Monterey Institute

Ms. Alanna Krolikowski, University of Toronto

Mr. Ben Baseley-Walker, Advisor on Security Policy and International Law, Secure World Foundation

Moderator: Ms. Victoria Samson, Washington Office Director, Secure World Foundation

Audio file (MP3)

The views and opinions expressed by the panel are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of their employers.

" The Dragon's New Eyes" is a panel discussion focused on how this shift may impact China's approach to space security and sustainability, the U.S.-China bilateral relationship, and possibilities for international cooperation on space security issues such as the European-proposed Code of Conduct.

Audio File (MP3)

Speakers include:

• Mr. Mark Stokes, Executive Director, Project 2049 Institute
• Mr. Kevin Pollpeter,  China Project Manager, Center for Intelligence Research and Analysis, Defense Group, Inc.
• Dr. Owen Coté, Associate Director, Security Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Mr. Brian Weeden, Technical Advisor, Secure World Foundation
• Moderator: Ms. Victoria Samson, Washington Office Director, Secure World Foundation

Audio file (MP3)

Speakers include:

Audio file (MP3)

These and other questions were answered as the Secure World Foundation, a private operating foundation dedicated to the sustainable use of outer space over the long-term, hosts a lunch-time briefing on space debris. Speaking will be:

Dr. Darren McKnight, Technical Director for Integrity Applications, Inc. (IAI) based in Chantilly, Virginia, who recently served on the National Research Council's Committee on NASA's Orbital Debris and Micrometeoroid Program.

Mr. Brian Weeden, Technical Advisor to the Secure World Foundation, and  former active duty U.S. Air Force officer who worked at the U.S. Strategic Command's Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) monitoring space debris.

As an alternative, Mr. Weeden outlines the application of more recent developments in economics, including information and game theory, and their link to current initiatives such as the code of conduct and SSA Sharing.  Finally, Mr. Weeden discuses ongoing SWF research into the application of sustainable governance of common-pool resources to space and what lessons it may have for the long-term sustainable use of space.

Link to the article:  http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2093/1

The fact sheet can be found in the Resource Library under International Security & Space.

Secure World Foundation (SWF) is pleased to announce that it will be accepting applications from young professionals for scholarships to aid in traveling to present papers at the 2012 International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Naples, Italy.  The goal of these scholarships is to provide young space professionals an opportunity to participate in one of the most prestigious international space conferences to further their professional development and inject new ideas into the community.

To qualify, individuals be under the age of 35, working in the space field, and already have an abstract accepted for presentation at IAC in Naples.  Applicants should fill out this form with their contact information and paper details, and provide a short essay of no more than 500 words on why they feel it is important to present their research at IAC and what they hope to get out of the experience.

Individuals selected to receive scholarships will be be notified by August 1, 2012, and required to provide a trip report to SWF following the Congress.

For further questions, please contact Ms. Lisa Croy (lcroy@swfound.org).

SWF Technical Advisor Brian Weeden gave a presentation in Paris as part of the 2nd European Workshop on Active Debris Removal, hosted by the French Space Agency.  The two day workshop brought together more than 140 experts from around the world to discuss progress and challenges for removing man-made debris from Earth orbit to promote the long-term sustainability of outer space.

Mr. Weeden's presentation focused on the non-technical challenges associated with active debris removal (ADR), including the legal, policy and economic challenges that need to be addressed along with the engineering challenges.  Mr. Weeden advocated for an international technical demonstration mission that would help validate critical ADR technologies and serve as a specific example to promote progress on legal and policy issues.  Mr. Weeden's presentation can be viewed here.

The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space was set up by the General Assembly in 1959 ( resolution 1472 (XIV)) to review the scope of international cooperation in peaceful uses of outer space, to devise programmes in this field to be undertaken under United Nations auspices, to encourage continued research and the dissemination of information on outer space matters, and to study legal problems arising from the exploration of outer space.

Number of Member States in the Committee: 71

The Committee has two standing Subcommittees of the whole:

• the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee; and
• the Legal Subcommittee.

The Committee and its two Subcommittees meet annually to consider questions put before them by the General Assembly, reports submitted to them and issues raised by the Member States. The Committee and the Subcommittees, working on the basis of consensus, make recommendations to the General Assembly. Detailed information on the work of the Committee and the Subcommittees are contained in their annual reports.

Further resources on the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space:

• A historical overview of COPUOS
• Reports of COPUOS and its Subcommittees
• Unedited Transcripts Archive of Past Sessions of the Committee

To learn more about the event, see photos, speaker bios, and presentations visit the event page: /events/2012/the-brussels-space-policy-round-table-the-ups-and-downs-of-euro-china-space-cooperation.

At a special symposium organized by the Netherlands Space Society at Dutch Space in Leiden, SWF Technical Advisor Brian Weeden presented an overview of active debris removal (ADR).  He summarized the reasons why active debris removal is necessary and some of the technical and policy challenges in doing ADR operations.  Mr. Weeden's presentation can be viewed here.

The agenda for the symposium and the other presentations can be found at the Netherlands Space Society website.

The Draft International Code of Conduct for Space Activities: a non-legally binding, voluntary international instrument aimed at building norms of responsible behavior in space activities

The UN COPUOS Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities (LTSSA) Working Group: an initiative under the UNCOPUOS Scientific and Technical Subcommittee tasked with producing a consensus report outlining voluntary best practice guidelines for all space actors to ensure the long-term sustainable use of outer space.

The Group of Governmental Experts on Transparency and Confidence Building Measures (TCBMs) in Outer Space Activities: a small group of international space experts from a variety of countries convened to examine and report on methods for improving cooperation and reducing the risks of misunderstanding and miscommunication in space activities.

The full Press Release can be found here.

SWF's Washington Office Director Victoria Samson moderated a session providing an overview of several different on-orbit servicing concepts, and SWF Technical Advisor Brian Weeden moderated a session on the operational, safety, and information sharing challenges with on-orbit servicing.

SWF Brussels Office Director Agnieszka Lukaszczyk gave a presentation on space sustainability at the Policy and Law Symposium of the Toulouse Space Show. Her presentation focused on on current international initiatives in the are of space sustainability. You can see her presentation here.

Environment, transport and mobility, health: the increasing importance of Space systems for society was the theme of this year's Toulouse Space Show.

In the age of digital technology and mobility, satellites are with us at all times, enabling mobile phones, television, Internet, weather forecasts and telemedicine, navigation systems and personal healthcare services. In the future, these applications will all play an even greater role in our private and professional lives. All members of society, whether government or local authorities, professionals from industry, agriculture or healthcare, NGOs, architects, urban planners and others, are now aware of the contribution and growing importance of satellite technology.

The objective of this year's Toulouse Space Show was to enable developers of solutions and Space applications to discuss ideas with users and imagine with them the solutions and services of the future.

The 2010 Toulouse Space Show was attended by nearly a thousand participants from 32 countries, as well as 81 exhibitors. For this year's event, the organisers have been contacted by many new countries wishing to be represented in 2012.

This 3^rd edition of the Toulouse Space Show focused on four symposia:

• Space Appli: the 4^th International Conference on Space Applications, with demonstrations of services and user testimonials.
• Space&Law: 1^st International Space & Law Forum, to address all the legal issues and solutions related to the use of Space data.
• KM: 4^th International Conference on Knowledge Management for Space Missions.
• ANTEM: an international conference being held for the first time in Toulouse and bringing together specialists in antennas and more generally electromagnetic systems. The 15^th edition of this symposium will be spotlighting new technologies.

The Toulouse SPACE & LAW Forum is an initiative of CNES, the Midi-Pyrenees Region, the University Toulouse1-Capitole, the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), and the International Institute of Space Law (IISL).

The Forum focuses on the legal aspects triggered by the whole chain of service providers, from the spacecraft to the end users. It provided a forum for the presentations and discussions of the latest research results and practical applications and will stimulate interdisciplinary and international collaboration.

This conference complemented the existing activities dealing with the field of space law and the carrying out of tasks to foster the development of law and regulation. It addressed all the legal questions from the perspectives of the providers and the users of given types of space applications.

The Toulouse SPACE & LAW Forum gathered lawyers, scientists, space players, users and space services providers, it shared and brought focus to the legal aspects linked to procurements and processes based on space services and eventually formulate recommendations for further legal and technical activities.

The forum highlighted the policies, strategies and activities initiated and implemented over recent years, which benefit from the booming development of space based services.

The key areas which were addressed during the conference were:

• Legal constraints: rights, freedom, privacy protection,
• Licensing requirements for space activities: national laws, regulatory regimes and international treaties,
• Space activities, private agreements and public procurements,
• Space ventures and financing opportunities,
• Lessons from emerging countries,
• Intellectual property rights,
• Responsibilities of service providers, data suppliers, users and other players,
• Evidence from space: use of satellites data as legal evidence,
• Service providers' obligations,
• Space policy.

To see the program of the Space and Law Symposium click here: http://www.toulousespaceshow.eu/tss12/en/?page_id=1796

On July 6th, 2012, SWF Technical Advisor Brian Weeden participated in a TEDx event organized by International Space University (ISU) as part of the Alumni Weekend activities at the ISU Space Studies Program in Melbourne, Florida. TEDx events are independently organized versions of the popular TED talks that promote "ideas worth spreading".

The theme for TEDxISU was "Open Source Space", and Brian's talk focused on SWF's work on open source space situational awareness to improve safety and sustainability of space activities. Brian highlighted SWF's work in launching a database of SSA sensors around the globe and promoting the benefits of an open source, collaborative approach to developing SSA software tools.

Watch the video of Brian's talk:

A summary of the event was published in Florida Today: TEDx turns into a call to collaborate

To read the report click here.

To learn more about the event, see photos, speaker bios, and presentations visit the event page: /events/2012/the-brussels-space-policy-round-table-the-ups-and-downs-of-euro-china-space-cooperation.

The workshop was held in Bonn, Germany, April 24-26, 2012. The workshop focused on strengthening global synergies through knowledge management, portals and networks bringing together more than fifty experts from Asia, Australia, Africa and Latin America. It provided the forum for UN-SPIDER to gather elements to update its knowledge management strategy, particularly regarding the UN-SPIDER Knowledge Portal.The workshop was co-organized by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and supported by Secure World Foundation, the City of Bonn and the German Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi). Project Manager, Natassa Antoniou represented SWF. For more information click here.

• Steve Lee, Department Chair and Curator of Planetary Science at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (moderator)
• Dr. Mike Simpson, Executive Director of Secure World Foundation
• Don Kessler, former head of NASA's Orbital Debris Program
• Dr. Hanspeter Schaub, Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Graduate Affairs of the Aerospace Engineering Sciences Department at the University of Colorado at Boulder
• Melissa Butts, Director of Space Junk 3D, Melrae Pictures

For more information on the film and future showings, visit: SpaceJunk3D.com

Leonard's presentation can be viewed here.

The Space Security Index (SSI) provides a comprehensive summary of civil, commercial and military space activities in 2011, identifies important trends, and analyzes their impact on space security.

The developments covered by the report are organized according to eight chapters:

-- The space environment
-- Space situational awareness
-- Laws, policies, and doctrines
-- Civil space programs
-- Commercial space
-- Space support for terrestrial military operations
-- Space systems resiliency
-- Space systems negation

Release of the 2012 Space Security Index Executive Summary took place July 17 at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

For details on the report's release, go to:

/events/2012/2012-space-security-index-executive-summary-release

On June 26, 2012, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) held a conference on "Fostering Sustainable Satellite Servicing" in Washington, D.C. that served as an excellent beginning for this conversation. To continue the discussion, Secure World Foundation (SWF) will be holding two follow-on international conferences to bring in the perspectives and viewpoints from all stakeholders on issues of on-orbit servicing and active debris removal, extending the conversation to an international audience.

In partnership with the Institut francais des relations internationales (Ifri), SWF will hold a conference in Brussels, Belgium on October 30, 2012 to bring these discussions to the European community. SWF is also partnering with the Singapore Space and Technology Association (SSTA) to hold another conference in Singapore on February 20, 2013 to extend the dialog to the Asia-Pacific region.

According to Dr. Michael Simpson, Executive Director of SWF: "In order to continue to enjoy the benefits from our use of space, we need to be able to have an open and honest discussion of the challenges facing issues like OOS and ADR. An international dialog allows for cooperative effort and permits transparent conversation on these important topics."

Details on the events, including venues and registration, will be posted to the events section of the SWF website in the coming weeks.

Link to the full press release:  http://www.newswise.com/articles/secure-world-foundation-announces-international-dialog-on-satellite-servicing-and-debris-removal

• Mr. Cesar Jaramillo - Project Ploughshares
• Ms. Carissa Christensen - The Tauri Group
• Mr. Michael Listner - Legal and Policy Consultant with Space Law and Policy Solutions
• Ms. Audrey Schaffer - Office of the Secretary of Defense-Policy, Space

The event was held at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC, on July 17th, 2012.

Listen to the audio recording (1 hr 50 min mp3)

Download the 2012 SSI Executive Summary

Agenda

Summary Report

More than 80 abstracts from young professionals around the world were submitted. After a rigorous scoring process, the five winners selected to receive scholarships and their paper titles are as follows:

Kate Becker, United States - "Lessons Learned from Maritime Domain Awareness for International SSA"

Kate Becker is currently serving in the International and Interagency Affairs Division of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Satellite and Information Service. Kate has a BA in Physics and Mathematical Sciences, an MA in Theology and Ethics, and ten years of experience in space science education. She will graduate with an MA in International Science and Technology Policy, with a focus in Space Policy, from George Washington University in August.

Minoo Rathnasabapathy, South Africa - "Novel Approaches to International Cooperation and Data Sharing for SSA"

Minoo is a PhD candidate in Aerospace Engineering at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia where the focus of her doctoral research investigates the impact dynamics of novel materials used in aerospace structures. Minoo graduated with a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering with Honours, after which she gained professional experience in Germany, working on the structural design optimization for the Ariane 5 launch system. Minoo is an active member of the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), where she is co-lead of the Space Safety and Sustainability (SSS) Working Group, coordinating multiple research projects on the safety and long-term sustainability of outer space.

Utsav Mukherjee, India - "Low Earth Orbital Zones - A Legal Shakedown"

Utsav Mukherjee is a dual-qualified solicitor in both India and England and Wales. He has trained at Clifford Chance LLP after completing his graduation in science and law from National Law University, Jodhpur in India. His interest in space law and intellectual property has led him to publish and present papers in both fields.

Ana Cristina van Oijhuizen Galhego Rosa, Brazil - "The Current and Future Efforts for Reaching Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space"

Ana Cristina van Oijhuizen Galhego Rosa is a Brazilian lawyer and concluded her master advanced programme in air and space law in 2010 at Leiden University, Netherlands. She has also a specialization in international law and international trade law concluded in 2001 and 2004 at Lisbon University, Portugal. Ms. Galhego Rosa was an intern at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in 2009 and visiting researcher at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) in 2010. Since 2008, she has been assisting the Brazilian delegation in meetings of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses for Outer Space (COPUOS) and its Legal Subcommittee as an observer member. Ms. Galhego Rosa is also member of Women in Aerospace-Europe, Brazilian Association of Air and Space Law, and International Institute of Space Law.

Philipp Maier, Germany - "Active Debris Removal: A Multinational Policy Option"

Philipp Maier studies mechanical engineering at Dresden University of Technology, focusing on Space Technology. He has gained professional experience during internships at the DLR Institute for Space Systems in Bremen and at the Robert Bosch GmbH's Center for Research and Development in Schwieberdingen. Following the 2012 Space Generation Congress, Philipp has been active for the Space Generation Advisory Council as competition co-organizer and in the Space Safety & Sustainability working group. He is also a 2012 Space Studies Program graduate of the International Space University.

Outside the space world, Philipp is a member of the Dresden chapter of Engineers without Borders and has participated in the 2010 and 2011 National Model United Nations conferences. His areas of interest include space debris removal and commercial manned spaceflight.

Congratulations to the winners and we look forward to seeing your presentations in Naples!

Full Press Release

Introductions:

- Brendan Curry, Vice President of Washington Operations, Space Foundation
- Tiffany Chow, Program Manager, Secure World Foundation

Panelists:

- Sam Black, Director of Policy, Satellite Industry Association (SIA)
- Peter Marquez, Vice President of Strategy and Planning, Orbital, Former White House Space Policy Director
- Jessica Powers, Director for Engagement, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Space Policy), U.S. Department of Defense
- Frank Slazer, Vice President for Space Systems, Aerospace Industries Association (AIA)

Moderator:
- Victoria Samson, Washington Office Director, Secure World Foundation

Lunch will be served. RSVP is required. Please RSVP by Friday, August 17, here: http://secureworldfoundation.wufoo.com/forms/m7p7a7/

Show notes can be found here and the full audio recording of the show is here.

Introductions

• Brendan Curry, Vice President of Washington Operations, Space Foundation
• Tiffany Chow, Program Manager, Secure World Foundation

Panelists:

• Mr. Sam Black, Director of Policy, Satellite Industry Association (SIA)
• Mr. Peter Marquez, Vice President of Strategy and Planning, Orbital, Former White House Space Policy Director
• Ms. Jessica Powers, Director for Engagement, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Space Policy), U.S. Department of Defense
• Mr. Frank Slazer, Vice President for Space Systems, Aerospace Industries Association (AIA)

Moderator: Victoria Samson, Washington Office Director, Secure World Foundation

The event was held at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC, on August 17, 2012.

Listen to the audio recording (58 min mp3)

The webinar discussed several of the planned OOS projects, including DARPA's Phoenix Program and NASA's Restore Mission, and the various technical, economy, legal, and policy challenges in conducting OOS activities.

The video can be streamed here and there' is also an audio only file available here (1 hr 58 min mp3).

Show notes are available here.

An overview of the convention can be found here, while videos of many of the discussions can be found here.

While speaking to the students on July 5, Collins Arsenault and Simpson focused on the concept of Space Sustainability as a critical issue for anyone intending to pursue a long and satisfying career in the space sector, as well as investing their life in ensuring that space capabilities contribute to human well-being.

On Friday, the topic turned to Space Security as the SWF team addressed the ISU alumni gathered for their annual conference. Using the Space Security Index (SSI), which the Secure World Foundation helps to produce and sponsor, as a backdrop to their presentation, Collins Arsenault and Simpson worked together to give a balanced representation of the current climate; they showed that there has been both progress and frustration in advancing space security over the past several years. Although most of the audience indicated that they were aware of the SSI, several acknowledged that they had not known that it served as a useful annual review of space security issues.

Using open source data, SWF has released a fact sheet with timelines for all three government-funded human spaceflight programs from the initial orbiting of animals to the first successful docking of a human-occupied spacecraft with an orbital module designed to be inhabited. 

Although each of the three programs took a slightly different path to achieve this goal, in some cases combining or skipping certain steps, overall the three programs took very similar paths and lengths of time between 11 and 13.6 years.

The fact sheet can be downloaded here.

To read the full publication, please click here.

As the U.S. military is currently the premier source of SSA used by many satellite operators to avoid collisions with objects in orbit and operate responsibly in space, failure to improve its SSA capabilities can have repercussions beyond just the United States.  To combat these challenges and successfully improve US SSA capabilities, the report recommends that the United States adopt a more open approach to developing astrodynamic standards and SSA requirements; expand the community of interest to involve all stakeholders, including commercial and foreign entities; and hold public competitions to evaluate and choose new algorithms in support of conjunction analysis. The report also examines the two major challenges in adopting a more open approach - the military's role as the primary provider of SSA services to the world and the classification policy for US national security satellites.

The full report and executive summary can be downloaded here.  More SWF resources on SSA can be found in our Resource Library.

Full Press Release

Secure World Foundation and the Space Policy Program at Ifri partnered again this year to organize their 4th annual space conference under the banner "International Relations and Space: the European Approach". The purpose of this conference was to review Europe's current policy for international relations in Space, to identify future challenges and obstacles, and to determine some strategic orientations for a coherent European Strategy for International Relations in Space. The conference featured three panels, focusing on the thematic scope, the geographical priorities as well as the actors of Europe's IR strategy in space. Brussels Office Director Agnieszka Lukaszczyk opened and closed the conference as well moderated a panel titled: Which Governance for Europe’s International Relations in Space? Project Manager Natassa Antoniou also attended the event.

To see the agenda, speaker bios, pictures, and for more info please click here.

In order to read Tiffany's full talk, please click here. 

Andrew PELKEY, Political-Military Officer, United States Mission to the European Union
Dumitru PRUNARIU, Cosmonaut, President, Association of Space Explorers
Aarti HOLLA-MAINI, Secretary General, European Satellite Operators Association
Agnieszka LUKASZCZYK, Brussels Office Director, Secure World Foundation
Moderator: Leonardo COLUCCI, Programming Director, Young Professionals in Foreign Policy

To find out more about the event, view speaker bios, presentations and pictures click here.

For a brief overview of the book's contents and authors, or to purchase the book or downloadable PDF, click here. 

Please be advised that the agenda is subject to change at any time.

• The importance of global information availability through media broadcasting anytime anywhere
• The reliance on weather forecasting and the longer term understanding of climate change thanks to meteorological satellites
• The criticality of satellite communications when disaster strikes to support emergency response and relief efforts when terrestrial systems are destroyed or overloaded
• The vital role that satellite plays in synchronising power grids and financial markets worldwide
• The indispensable communications ability delivered by satellite for ships on the high seas & for secure communications
• Delivering equal access to services and opportunities through satellite broadband in remote / difficult to reach regions
• The positive impact that satellites are making on communications in developing nations

This high-level conference and exhibition was followed by an EPP hearing on "Communication & Monitoring Capabilities in Disaster Management" hosted in the European Parliament by MEP Elisabetta Gardini (more information on this will be available shortly).

Copies of the presentations made on the day are now available to download from the event website on the Networking page, details of which have already been sent to all participants. In addition, photos taken at the event are now also available on the event website here. Please check back regularly as more pictures will be uploaded shortly.

For more information click here. 

SWF Brussels Office Director, Agnieszka Lukaszczyk, has been selected with four other persons to receive the 2012 Young Space Leader Recognition Award. This inaugural programme produced considerable interest from IAF Member organisations which resulted in a large number of highly qualified nominations. The other award recipietns are: Ariane Cornell (SGAC), Nicolas Peter (ESA), Kevin Stube (NASA), Danielle Wood (MIT). The 2012 Young Space Leaders were inducted at the 63rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 1-5 October 2012 in Naples, Italy. The induction occured during the Closing Ceremony on 5 October and was a highlight of the IAC. The winners were invited to attend the IAC Gala Dinner as guests of the IAF President. Learn more about the recognition programme.

  

The Secure World Foundation (SWF) and the Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (ACDIS) co-hosted a panel discussion on Thursday, October 25, 2012: the discussion brought experts in the field together to assess the current state of play in space, especially amongst Asian powers. The event also examined how that play affects regional security issues, as well as international cooperative efforts to promote the long-term sustainable use of space. The focus was on the major players of China, India, and japan, and whether cooperation or competition would play a major role in their interactions. Moderated by SWF Washington Office Director Victoria Samson, the panel of experts included:

• Dr. Bharath Gopalaswamy, University of Illinois - Champaign/Urbana
• Dr. Joan Johnson-Freese, Naval War College
• Dr. Asif Siddiqi, Fordham University
• Dr. Kazuto Sazuki, University of Hokkaido and Princeton University (presentation)

An audio recording of the event can be dowloaded here.

On-orbit satellite servicing (OOS) and active debris removal (ADR) are part of an emerging category of future on-orbit activities that are critical for taking the next leap in our use of Earth orbit. The ability to repair or refuel satellites, construct new satellites in orbit, and even remove orbital debris can help drive innovative uses of space and create new possibilities. These activities also raises a host of diplomatic, legal, safety, operational, and policy challenges that need to be tackled for this future to be possible.

In partnership with the Institut francais des relations internationales (Ifri), Secure World Foundation (SWF) hosted a conference in Brussels, Belgium on October 30, 2012, to bring discussions on the commercial, legal, and policy implications of OOS and ADR to the European community. Specific topics that addressed included the dual-use nature of OOS and ADR technologies, norms of behavior for conducting OOS and ADR activities, and transparency and confidence building measures (TCBMs) to reduce the risk of such activities being seen as threats.

For more information on the event, to see the agenda, read bios, or view presentations, please click here.

For further information or to purchase the book, please click here.

In order to view the agenda and to read the speakers' biographies, please click here. 

Panelists
Dr. Bharath Gopalaswamy, University of Illinois - Champaign/Urbana
Dr. Joan Johnson-Freese, Naval War College
Dr. Asif Siddiqi, Fordham University
Dr. Kazuto Sazuki, University of Hokkaido and Princeton University

Moderator - SWF DC Office Director Victoria Samson

The event was held at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC, on October 25, 2012.

Listen to the audio recording (1hr 48min mp3).

Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.

In partnership with Beihang University and International Space University, Secure World Foundation held the 2012 Beijing Space Sustainability Conference on November 7-8, 2012. Held at Beihang University in Beijing, China, the conference brought together experts and students from China and around the world to discuss issues relating to the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, including This conference discusses issues related to the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, including orbital debris mitigation and removal, national implementation of debris mitigation guidelines and regulations, space situational awareness, space weather, and the international code of conduct for space activities.

Highlights from the conference included keynotes by Academician GUO Huadong from the Chinese Academy of Sciences on the importance of space for sustainability on earth, Mr. Ahmad Taleb Zadeh from the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) on the challenges and opportunities of space law in Asia, and Sean Kelly from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs on the international code of conduct for outer space activities. The conference also featured two session of student presentations and papers from around the world covering a range of technical, law and policy topics.

As a continuation of similar events held in Beijing in 2010 and 2011, the 2012 conference caps off a three-year partnership between SWF and Beihang University to help foster Chinese expertise on space sustainability topics and bring Chinese perspectives on these important issues into the global dialog.

Details about the conference as well as the presentations and student papers can be found on the event page.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) held the 5th annual Summit on the Global Agenda in Dubai, UAE from 11-14 November, 2012. The Summit brought together nearly 1,000 experts from around the world to brainstorm solutions to the most pressing global issues.

SWF Technical Advisor Brian Weeden participated as Chair of the Space Security Council, one of 88 Global Agenda Councils formed by the WEF across a wide range of issues, risks, and regions. Joining Brian on the Space Security Council were SWF Advisory Committee members Dr. Kazuto Suzuki and Ambassador Ciro Arévalo Yepes.

Over the course of the 3-day Summit the Space Security Council discussed a number of space sustainability initiatives, discussed cross-cutting issues with other Global Agenda Councils, and developed an action plan for the next 12-18 months that includes workshops and publications.

An interactive overview of the Global Agenda Councils and the issues they are focusing on in 2012 can be found here.

• Share information on research and applications studies that have demonstrated the use of space technology for societal benefit;
• Address principles and mechanisms for enhancing national, regional, and international cooperation in space technology development and applications;
• Demonstrate the benefits of various space technology applications for priorities highlighted by the RIO+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development: energy, cities, food, water, oceans, and disasters; and
• Promote integration of space solutions into national development agenda, including building institutional and governance frameworks.

The workshop lead to:

• The development of collaborative projects ideas, that while addressing specific societal issues confronting individual member states or regions, are applicable globally;
• The identification of research activities in the context of decision-making that would benefit from space solutions; and
• The development of a strategy for building institutional capacity to integrate space solutions into the national development agenda.

SWF Brussels Office Director Agnieszka Lukaszczyk chaired a session on Applications for Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Response while the Project Manager Natassa Antoniou served as the Rapporteur and gave a presentation titled Data policies in support of climate change and disaster management application. The workshop had a special panel on gender equity in space sciences; from providers to decision makers and end users where Agnieszka Lukaszczyk gave a talk on the challenges of young women in the space sector. To find out more about the workshop, view pictures, programme, and presentations please click here.

The purpose of this conference was to review Europe's current policy for international relations in Space, to identify future challenges and obstacles, and to determine some strategic orientations for a coherent European Strategy for International Relations in Space. The conference featured three panels, focusing on the thematic scope, the geographical priorities as well as the actors of Europe's IR strategy in space. 

SWF and Ifri are pleased to release the final report of the conference, which includes insightful analysis of the discussed topics. To read the report click here.

To find out more about the event, see presentations, speaker bios, programme and pictures click here.

At the GEO plenary this year, On November 22, 2012 in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil Secure World Foundation became an Observer of the Group on Earth Observation. Brussels Office Director Agnieszka Lukaszczyk gave a statement to the plenary. Project Manager Natassa Antoniou gave a presentation titled "Data Policies in Support of Climate Change and Disaster Management Application" at the side event organized by the European Commission.

The Group on Earth Observations is coordinating efforts to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems, or GEOSS. GEO was launched in response to calls for action by the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and by the G8 (Group of Eight) leading industrialized countries. These high-level meetings recognized that international collaboration is essential for exploiting the growing potential of Earth observations to support decision making in an increasingly complex and environmentally stressed world. 

GEO is a voluntary partnership of governments and international organizations. It provides a framework within which these partners can develop new projects and coordinate their strategies and investments. As of March 2012, GEO’s Members include 88 Governments and the European Commission. In addition, 64 intergovernmental, international, and regional organizations with a mandate in Earth observation or related issues have been recognized as Participating Organizations. 

GEO is constructing GEOSS on the basis of a 10-Year Implementation Plan for the period 2005 to 2015. The Plan defines a vision statement for GEOSS, its purpose and scope, expected benefits, and the nine “Societal Benefit Areas” of disasters, health, energy, climate, water, weather, ecosystems, agriculture and biodiversity. The Group on Earth Observations is coordinating efforts to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems, or GEOSS. (See also "Crafting geoinformation," the 2010 Progress Report, and the GEO brochure.)

Societal Benefits
GEOSS will yield a broad range of societal benefits, notably:
• Reducing loss of life and property from natural and human-induced disasters;
• Understanding environmental factors affecting human health and well-being,
• Improving the management of energy resources,
• Understanding, assessing, predicting, mitigating, and adapting to climate variability and change,
• Improving water resource management through better understanding of the water cycle,
• Improving weather information, forecasting and warning,
• Improving the management and protection of terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems,
• Supporting sustainable agriculture and combating desertification, and
• Understanding, monitoring and conserving biodiversity.

Governance
GEO is governed by a Plenary consisting of all Members and Participating Organizations. It meets in Plenary at least once a year at the level of senior officials and periodically at the ministerial level. The Plenary held its first meeting in May 2005 in Geneva, followed by GEO-II in December 2005 in Geneva, GEO-III in Bonn in November 2006, and GEO-IV (plus a Ministerial Summit) in Cape Town in November 2007. Members take decisions at the Plenary by consensus. 

An Executive Committee oversees GEO activities when the Plenary is not in session. The Committee consists of 13 representatives elected from the five GEO regions, including three each from the Americas and Europe, four from Asia, two from Africa, and one from the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Committee is also responsible for guiding the Secretariat. The GEO Members elect four Co-Chairs who preside over both the Plenary and the Executive Committee.

History
The following summits led to the creation of GEO and GEOSS:
• The 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg highlighted the urgent need for coordinated observations relating to the state of the Earth. 
• The Group of Eight Summit in June 2003 in Evian, France, affirmed the importance of Earth observation as a priority activity. 
• The First Earth Observation Summit convened in Washington, D.C., in July 2003 adopted a Declaration establishing the ad hoc intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (ad hoc GEO) to draft a 10-Year Implementation Plan. 
• The Second Earth Observation Summit in Tokyo, Japan, in April 2004 adopted a Framework Document defining the scope and intent of a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).
• The Third Earth Observation Summit, held in Brussels in February 2005, endorsed the GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan and established the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) to carry it out.  • The G8 Heads of State supported GEOSS in the Gleneagles Plan of Action released in July 2005. 
• The G8 Heads of State also pledged to continue exercising leadership in the development of GEOSS in their June 2007 Summit Declaration adopted in Heiligendamm, Germany.
• The G8 leaders further agreed to accelerate efforts to strengthen observation, prediction and data sharing within GEOSS in their Declaration on Environment and Environment adopted in Hokkaido, Japan, in July 2008 and their Declaration on Responsible Leadership for a Sustainable Future adopted in L'Aquila, Italy, in July 2009.

To find out more about the GEO Plenary, see presentations and statements click here.

Secure World Foundation, and the Mission of Canada to the European Union partered again to organize the "2012 Space Security Index Launch in Europe" as the part of SWF's Brussels Space Policy Round Table series of short panel discussions focused on significant global space events with a particular emphasis on Europe.

The Space Security Index (SSI) is an annual report on trends and developments related to security and outer space, covering the period January to December of the previous year (see recent editions). The goal of the SSI is to improve transparency with respect to space activities and provide a common, comprehensive knowledge base to support the development of national and international policies that contribute to space security.

The report is managed and published by Project Ploughshares with support and funding from Secure World Foundation, The Simons Foundation, the International Security Research and Outreach Programme at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, and the Erin J.C. Arsenault Trust at McGill University.

• Executive Summary
• Download Full Book

To see the presentations, speaker bios and pictures click here.

In recent years, technological advancements have made it possible for Volunteer and Technical Communities (V&TCs) i.e. OpenStreetMap, Ushahidi, Sahana, CrisisMappers, Virtual Disaster Viewer, Google MapMaker, INSTEDD and others to provide increasing support to disaster risk management and emergency response efforts. Important cornerstones of this virtual effort are the possibility to access and take advantage of satellite imagery as well as the use of other space-based technologies such as telecommunications satellites and global navigation satellite systems.

The Expert Meeting brought together leading experts representing crowd-sourcing communities, space agencies, disaster management and civil protection agencies, NGOs, private companies, and regional and international organizations.

Brussels Office Director Agnieszka Lukaszczyk gave an opening speech together with Mr. Luc St‐Pierre, Senior Programme Officer of UNOOSA, Mr. Wolfgang Thill (Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations) and Mr. Stephan Mayer, Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft (FFG). Project manager Natassa Antoniou moderated one of the breaking sessions focusing on social media and its role in disaster management. She also gave a presentation titled "Data policies in support of climate change and disaster management application".

For more information about the event and to see the presentations please click here.

Ms. Marcia Smith from SpacePolicyOnline.com provided perspectives on challenges facing NASA, NOAA and other civil space agencies and activities, including Congressional funding and authorization and what might happen to space should the "fiscal cliff" occur. Ms. Smith noted that a common theme between all these issues was building trust between the parties involved.

Ms. Patricia Cooper, President of the Satellite Industry Association, focused on topics of interest to the commercial satellite industry, including hosted payloads, reducing the risk of accidents in space, and ITAR and export control reform. Ms. Cooper highlighted the need to overcome administrative, bureaucratic, and regulatory obstacles in order to address new challenges and take advantage of new possibilities.

Mr. Brian Weeden, Technical Advisor at Secure World Foundation, focused on space situational awareness (SSA), including both the progress that has been made by the U.S. military over the last few years and the remaining challenges that need to be addressed such as better data sharing and improving SSA for all space actors. In particular, Mr. Weeden discussed the recommendations of his recent report "Going Blind" on the need for the U.S. to involve more stakeholders in the discussion of SSA needs and solutions.

Dr. Eligar Sadeh from Astroconsulting International discussed a new book he edited entitled Space Strategy in the 21st Century. Published by Routledge as part of their Space Power and Politics series, the book contains articles written by experts who attended the SWF Workshop on National Space Strategy in February, 2010.

The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Scott Pace, Director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, who also provided comments regarding the future direction of NASA's human spaceflight program and the role of space in U.S.-China relations.

A detailed summary of the event can be found at SpacePolitics.com and another summary at Spacepolicyonline.com

An audio recording of the event is also available. (1 hr 40 min mp3 file)

To read the full presentation, please click here.

For a full list of Ms. Samson's publications, please click here. 

To listen to an audio recording of the show, please click here. 

Participants included delegates from the ASEAN countries of Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam plus additional ones from Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, and the United States. Delegates agreed that ASEAN should consider ways to include space security matters in its future agenda.

The ARF was established in 1994 and includes 10 ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), 10 dialogue partners (Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia, and the United States), one ASEAN observer (Papua New Guinea), and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, East Timor, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. It was created to provide a forum for Asian security dialogue, where members can discuss current regional security issues and develop cooperative measures to enhance peace and security in the region. 

 To view the presentation, please click here. 

We are pleased to inform you that SWF has moved its Brussels' premises to a new location. Please use the address and phone numbers below to contact us from now on.

Secure World Foundation
Rue de la Science 14b
B-1040 Brussels
Belgium
tel +32 2 880 37 02 
Fax +32 2 808 84 64

SWF Technical Advisor Brian Weeden participated in a panel discussion on "The Future of Space" at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Brian was joined on the panel by Julien Anfruns, Director-General of the International Council of Museums, Ray Johnson, Senior Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer of Lockheed Martin Corporation, and Eric Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of Intentional Software Corporation, Executive Chairman of Space Adventures and Chairman of Planetary Resources. The panel was moderated by Mariette DiChristina, Editor-in-Chief of Scientific American magazine.

The discussion began by highlighting the many ways that satellite applications and space-based services provide daily benefits to the world and how they can be used to help meet some of the most pressing challenges facing the world, such as climate change, sustainable development, protecting cultural treasures and heritage, monitoring conflict and war crimes, and efficient management of natural resources. The conversation then shifted to the challenges facing the long-term sustainability of space activities, including orbital debris and congestion, spectrum management, conflict and irresponsible behavior, and space weather. The conclusions drawn from the discussion highlighted the need for better public-private partnerships between the private sector and governments, improved multistakeholder governance of space activities, and connecting the space community with other communities to help identify challenges where space can be part of the solution. A mind map of the discussion is below.

The Permanent Representation of Poland to the European Union together with the Secure World Foundation and in cooperation with the office of Krzysztof Lisek MEP organised an informal panel discussion entitled “Space Opportunities and Challenges – A View from Poland, the Newest ESA Member State.”

The purpose of this panel was to introduce Poland as the new actor to the European space arena and review its capacities, aspirations as well as challenges it may face as the newest ESA member. It also aimed to determine some strategic orientations Poland might have for its space program.

To see the presentations, speaker bios and pictures click here.

The guide is available for use and download on SWF's website here and SPI's website here.

To read the press release, please click here.

Organized by Bhupendra Jasani, the holder of the Dawan chair, the conference consisted of 8 sessions.  Three of the sessions were led by members of the SWF community:  Advisory Committee members, Gérard Brachet and Ciro Arévalo Yepes, and Executive Director Michael Simpson.  Presentations were equally balanced between discussions of technologies undergoing commercialization and the legal and policy questions implied by space commerce. 

Dr. Simpson moderated the panel on Space Tourism, and Ambassador Arevalo-Yepes led the panel on Earth Observation.  Gerard Brachet moderated the conference’s final session on the Ethics of Space Commercialization during which Dr. Simpson summarized the conference’s themes against the backdrop of the incipient commercial interest in space mining.

The following conference objectives reflected a clear interest in exploring the challenges of governance, equity, and cooperation that will be presented by the growing interest in space commerce.

1. assess critically whether commercialization of space is benefiting all countries and peoples irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific development;
2. identify precisely critical challenges to commercialization of space and to propose viable solutions to address these challenges;
3. how to achieve a balance between commercial benefits and benefits derived from space capabilities for economic development through exploitation of Earth’s natural resources in developing countries; and
4.  develop a model of public-private relationship by studying different cases and identifying a successful model (or its factors).

 Published proceedings of the conference are expected to be available by early summer.

On the evening of Thursday, February 7, 2013, Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP) and Secure World Foundation (SWF) hosted a panel discussion and networking reception to address the importance of space to international and national security. Outer space activities play an increasingly important role in everyday life and are essential to international and national security. Despite their importance, little is understood about the space environment and the activities we conduct there outside of the space policy community. The event brought together an intimate group of young professionals from both the space and foreign policy communities to hear from a prestigious panel about the importance of space activities to the national security of the U.S. and international security in a broader geopolitical context. Speakers included: Victoria Samson Washington Office Director, Secure World Foundation; John Plumb, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, U.S. Department of Defense; Frank Rose, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Space and Defense Policy, U.S. Department of State; and Joan Johnson-Freese, Professor of National Security Affairs, Naval War College.The event was closed to public participation and held under Chatham House Rules.

Brian's presentation focused on the non-technical challenges involved in ADR activities, including legal, policy, and economic considerations, and called for an international technical demonstration mission to help address some of those challenges as well as increased cooperation, coordination, and transparency on ADR activities. 

• Share information on research and applications studies that have demonstrated the use of space technology for societal benefit;
• Address principles and mechanisms for enhancing national, regional, and international cooperation in space technology development and applications;
• Demonstrate the benefits of various space technology applications for priorities highlighted by the RIO+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development: energy, cities, food, water, oceans, and disasters; and
• Promote integration of space solutions into national development agenda, including building institutional and governance frameworks.

The workshop lead to:

• The development of collaborative project ideas, that while addressing specific societal issues confronting individual member states or regions, are applicable globally;
• The identification of research activities in the context of decision-making that would benefit from space solutions; and
• The development of a strategy for building institutional capacity to integrate space solutions into the national development agenda.

SWF is pleased to announce the publication of an updated booklet on Space Sustainability - A Practical Guide. This resource provides an introduction connecting our current use and reliance on space, the issues that jeopardize that use, and the historic and ongoing activities underway to help ensure that all humanity can continue to use outer space for peaceful purposes and socioeconomic benefit now and in the long-term. This edition of the booklet contains new sections on radio frequency communications and current international space sustainability initiatives.

To view or download a copy of Space Sustainability - A Practical Guide, click here.

A limited number of printed copies are also available at events attended and hosted by SWF throughout the year.

The fiftieth session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee is currently being held  at the United Nations in Vienna. As every year SWF has a strong participation in various working groups, expert groups and overall discussions. On Tuesday, February 12th, SWF Brussels Office Director Agnieszka Lukaszczyk gave a statement to the Subcommittee on behalf of the SWF.

In recent years, technological advancements have made it possible for Volunteer and Technical Communities (V&TCs) i.e. OpenStreetMap, Ushahidi, Sahana, CrisisMappers, Virtual Disaster Viewer, Google MapMaker, INSTEDD and others to provide increasing support to disaster risk management and emergency response efforts. Important cornerstones of this virtual effort are the possibility to access and take advantage of satellite imagery as well as the use of other space-based technologies such as telecommunications satellites and global navigation satellite systems.

The Expert Meeting brought together leading experts representing crowd-sourcing communities, space agencies, disaster management and civil protection agencies, NGOs, private companies, and regional and international organizations.

For more information about the event and to see the presentations please click here.

Space is the province of Mankind and free for use by all. With the very rapid growth of space applications the question is increasingly how the global community can ensure that the benefits of space are spread around in a fashion that truly benefits all. Governmental actors are particularly challenged in this yet the focus should not only be on the role of states in ensuring equitable enjoyment of sustainable benefits of space – also industry has an important and partly independent role.

The ESPI/SWF event addressed the role of space industry in sustainable development, and attempted to draw a first set of conclusions, which now need to be developed further in different fora by the relevant stakeholder communities. 

To see the event presentations, pictures and program please click here.

To read Is Outer Space Safe?, please click here. 

To read more of Ms. Chow's publications, please click here.

Having worked for almost a decade on the often misunderstood problems of asteroid threat mitigation, we know that however rare they may be, impacts such as that which shook Chelyabinsk and the surrounding area Friday hold the potential to cause great damage and suffering.

We congratulate both the local and national authorities in Russia for their prompt reporting of the facts. Asteroid explosions in the atmosphere and the resulting shock wave can easily create public fears of military activity, and prompt, accurate information is important to maintain calm.

At the very time of the Chelyabinsk incident, a Secure World Foundation representative was in Vienna working with the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) whose Action Team 14 supports the Working Group on Near Earth Objects. Action Team 14 has put great effort into improving international cooperation and understanding in the field of asteroid threat mitigation.

Among the international participants in that gathering was NASA's Don Yeomans, whose Op/Ed piece on the need to increase our capacity to search for space objects passing close to Earth appeared in my Friday morning copy of The International Herald Tribune. The timeliness of that piece is uncanny and welcomed.

An international response to the threat posed by Earth orbit-crossing asteroids is critical. Needed are: better observations of all near-Earth asteroids; identification of threating objects; and a coordinated international response to such threats when they are identified.

We congratulate UNCOPUOS for having recognized that asteroid threat mitigation is a matter for its careful attention even when its critics were inclined to argue that the threat was too unlikely an event to merit serious discussion.

Together with NASA, the European Space Agency and other space organizations, Secure World Foundation is sponsoring the Planetary Defense Conference from April 15-19 in Flagstaff, Arizona. This conference is devoted to sharing scientific research concerning asteroids and comets that can threaten Earth, and to exploring the means to protect the planet should such action be required.

We are also very thankful to our partners, the Association of Space Explorers, the International Space University, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the B612 Foundation whose interest in the challenges presented by potentially hazardous asteroids precedes ours and who did us the service of showing us their importance.

In partnership with the Singapore Space and Technology Association (SSTA), SWF held two successful events in Singapore to expand international discussions on and understanding of Active Debris Removal (ADR) and On-orbit Satellite Servicing (OOS).

On 19 February, SWF held a half-day private workshop to discuss potential on-orbit satellite servicing (OOS) and active debris removal (ADR) scenarios. Attendees included more than 20 experts in the fields of space policy, space law, and space operations from the United States, Australia, Japan, China, India, Switzerland, Germany, and Canada. The discussion centered around two scenarios of possible ADR or OOS activities in space and the legal, policy and international political challenges they might engender. Key areas highlighted included sovereignty of space objects, liability, licensing, and transparency and confidence building measures. The agenda and scenarios can be found here.

On 20 February, SWF and SSTA held the Singapore Conference on Active Debris Removal and On-orbit Satellite Servicing at the Sheraton Towers in Singapore. The conference built on previous events in Washington, DC, and Brussels, Belgium, on the non-technical challenges with ADR and OOS to bring these discussions to the Asia-Pacific region. Specific topics that were addressed included an overview of international OOS and ADR efforts, the important role of space situational awareness, legal aspects, commercial sector perspectives, and international perspectives on ADR, OOS, and space security.

The conference agenda and presentations can be found here.

The fiftieth session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space was held from 11-22 February 2013 at the United Nation Office in Vienna. As every year SWF had a strong participation in various working groups, expert groups and overall discussions. 

On Tuesday, February 12th, SWF Brussels Office Director Agnieszka Lukaszczyk gave a statement to the Subcommittee on behalf of the SWF.

SWF Technical Advisor Brian Weeden took part in a special Symposium on Active Debris Removal (ADR) organized by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) as part of the STSC of the UN COPUOS. The Symposium featured presentations by experts from the United States, Japan, Russia, France, Switzerland, and Germany on ADR programs on those countries and was moderated by SWF Advisory Committee member Gerard Brachet. Brian's presentation focused on the non-technical challenges involved in ADR activities, including legal, policy, and economic considerations, and called for an international technical demonstration mission to help address some of those challenges as well as increased cooperation, coordination, and transparency on ADR activities.

SWF Senior Advisor Ray Williamson also attended the meeting to participate in the Action Team-14, which supports the Working Group on Near Earth Objects.  Since 2006, SWF has taken an active role in the COPUOS meeting and has also convened several events to support the development of the Action Team report.  This February, the Action Team report was completed and submitted to the Working Group, whose report was subsequently adopted by the COPUOUS Subcommittee on Science and Technology. The report, which calls for an International Asteroid Warning Network and a Space Mission Planning Advisory Group, will now be sent to the June meeting of COPUOUS for review and possible adoption.

Scientific and Technical Subcommittee: 2013 

• Daily Journal No.10 of 21 February 2013 
• Technical Presentations made at the fiftieth session 
• Presentations made at the 2013 IAF Symposium on "Overview of studies and concepts for active orbital debris removal"
• Presentations made at the Workshop on Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities 
• Information for Participants

You can find all documents relevan to STSC such as the technical presentations, daily journals and more here.

We are proud to announce that the Secure World Foundation has recently joined WIA-Europe as its newest corporate member. Women in Aerospace (WIA) Europe is dedicated to expanding women's opportunities for leadership and increasing their visibility in the aerospace community, by creating a network in Europe and across the globe.

The membership, consisting of both women and men, share an interest in a broad spectrum of aerospace issues, including human space flight and exploration, aviation, remote sensing, satellite communications, robotic missions, commercial space, space tourism, and the policy issues surrounding these fields.

The goals of WIA Europe are to:

• Be a networking platform for women in aerospace
• Attract more women to the aerospace sector
• Foster the interests of women working in aerospace
• Improve access of women to leadership positions in aerospace
• Advance aerospace education
• Advocate political commitment to aerospace programmes
• Recognise the achievements of women in aerospace
• Be an ambassador for aerospace in Europe

To find out more about Women in Aerospace Europe click here.

Entitled Common Horizons, the White Paper, prepared by the 37 participants from 11 countries, examines the connection between sustainability on Earth, outer space activities, and sustainability of the space environment. The report is available for download on the Common Horizons website. 

The event was held under Chatham House Rules.

The International Institute of Air and Space Law, founded in 1985, is one of the leading international academic research and teaching institutes in the world, specialising in legal and policy issues regarding aviation and space activities in the broadest sense of the word. 

Its objective is to contribute to the development of aviation and space law and related policy by conducting and promoting research and teaching at the (post-) graduate level. The relevance and topicality of the work is guaranteed by an extensive exchange of information with the air transport and space industry. The Institute possesses a modern library and organises numerous courses and conferences on all aspects of aviation and space law and policy. 

It forms an integral part of the Leiden Law School of Leiden University and co-operates with many worldclass academic institutions. It maintains close contacts with national and international organisations and undertakings worldwide. The Institute enjoys the guidance of a prestigious International Advisory Board. 

Academic attention for this subject matter commenced as early as 1938, when Professor Daniel Goedhuis was appointed to teach air law. A professorial chair in air law was created in 1947 with an extension in scope to space law in 1961. Professor Goedhuis held this chair until 1977. His successor Professor Henri Wassenbergh was the catalyst behind the creation of the current Institute of Air and Space Law. The LLM programme is being taught since 2000. IIASL asks each year several experts in space policy to come to the university and lecture on specialized topics. 

Institutional management and innovation
• IPR rights
• Management initiatives
• Public private partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions
• Small medium enterprise (SME) programs
• Space agencies industrial applications programs
• Space agencies industrial policies

Space economics and management
• Employment
• Space budgets
• Technology innovation and its contribution to economic growth
• Trade export

Space industry market trends
• Earth observation
• Human Space Flight (HSF)
• Interplanetary space exploration
• Navigation
• Space Situational Awareness
• Telecommunications

Space markets and applications
• Medical devices and new drug development
• Osteoporosis therapies and drugs
• Solar energy satellites
• Space debris
• Space food
• Space ports
• Space tourism
• Sub-orbital transportation vehicles

For more info or to submit an article please contact SWF Brussels Office Director Agnieszka Lukaszczyk alukaszczyk@swfound.org.

SWF Project Manager Natassa Antoniou was invited by the City2020 Foundation to give a guest lecture in Wageningen, the Netherlands at the “Municipal environmental legislation and technology” course for representatives of the Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB) of the City of Nanjing (P.R. China). The course is part of the "Training Course on Urban Environmental Management and Urban Sustainable Development for Environmental Specialists and Urban Managers" project, which municipal staff of the EPB of the Chinese cities of Nanjing and Kelamay attends every year. Natassa’s presentation “Local & Regional Authorities - Going Green…Sustainable…and “Spacey”?” focused on space applications and how these can support local/regional authorities. 

City2020 Foundation has its roots in Dutch-German cross-border projects and experience in the field of sustainable development. After the end of a number of formal project activities in 2006, City2020 established its main focus on Sustainable Urban Development and Urban Environmental Management to serve the need of an independent actor that could mediate between different stakeholders, facilitate the creation of synergies and become the catalyst of innovative actions. Its international approach and collaborative way of working has been demonstrated to fit well in this atmosphere, and the Foundation’s activities, network and impacts are growing rapidly. City2020 Foundation stimulates and facilitates innovative collaboration and exchange between knowledge centers, technology developers, firms and governments in the field of sustainable urban development, urban environmental management, sustainable enterprise and innovation. It is realizing this by organizing or implementing courses, training, international projects and knowledge exchange, by organizing contests and the provision of relevant expertise.

Brussels Forum is an annual high-level meeting of the most influential North American and European political, corporate, and intellectual leaders to address pressing challenges currently facing both sides of the Atlantic. Participants include heads of state, senior officials from the European Union institutions and the member states, U.S. Cabinet officials, Congressional representatives, Parliamentarians, academics, and media.

Leaders on both sides of the Atlantic continue to deepen transatlantic cooperation on a vast array of distinctly new and global challenges from the international financial crisis to climate change and energy security to the retention of high-skilled workers, yet there is no single transatlantic forum focused on this broad and increasingly complex global agenda. Brussels Forum provides a venue for the transatlantic community to address these pressing issues. By bringing together leading politicians, thinkers, journalists, and business representatives, Brussels Forum helps shape a new transatlantic agenda that can adapt to changing global realities and new threats.

On March 16, 2013, Secure World Foundation hosted a break-out dinner on Space and Stability at the Conrad Brussels Hotel. Space has become a major component of international security. With 60 plus nations currently operating in space and over 22,000 pieces of man-made space debris being tracked orbiting the globe, how does the international community look to confront the challenges and growing complexities of ensuring a stable and secure space environment? This session discussed the role space plays in international security and how it affects the cooperative efforts of the international community in creating suitable mechanisms, such as the EU-proposed draft on International Code of Conduct for outer space activities. 

The speakers at the dinner included:

• Theresa Hitchens, Director, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
• Jacek Bylica, Ambassador, Principal Adviser and Special Envoy for Non-proliferation and Disarmament, European External Action Service
• Jamie Shea, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Emerging Security Challenges, NATO
• Moderator: Victoria Samson, Washington DC Officer Director, Secure World Foundation

Although the dinner discussion was held off record, full session videos of other discussions held at the Brussels Forum can be viewed here. 

To learn more about the Brussels Forum, please click here.

To read the publication of SWF inputs, please click here.

This year's conference organized by The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research in collaboration with Chatham House, Secure World Foundation and The Simons Foundation and with support from the Governments of the People’s Republic of China, India, Japan, the Russian Federation and the United States of America  focused on threats that might give rise to conflict within the outer space domain, how such conflict might spread to other domains and how such threats might be mitigated through national and multilateral initiatives. The conference aimed at building greater mutual understanding among stakeholders about the importance of protecting the space domain. In particular, aimed to bring into the discussions end-users of space-based services who have been less active participants in ongoing inter-governmental efforts, including from the commercial and humanitarian sectors, in order to further emphasis the importance of ensuring security and sustainability in outer space.

Emphasis was placed on elucidating those activities which serve to destabilise outer space and how space actors can contribute to transparency, predictability and stability in the domain. The conference was designed to provide an interactive forum where stakeholders will be able to explore how space security can be ensured via action at the national, regional and multilateral levels.

SWF was actively engaged in the organization of the conference and participation. Brussels Office Director Agnieszka Lukaszczyk gave a presentation titled "Contributing to the dialogue: what do NGOs offer the ongoing multilateral initiatives?", while Executive Director Michael Simpson chaired a panel titled Lessons from private actors: analysis of innovations by the commercial space sector on new methodologies for contributing to space security initiatives and contributed to a special presentation on the role of NGO's in the discussions on space security.

For more information, speaker bios, final agenda, audio and written presentations please click here.

The second edition of the Space Generation Fusion Forum – a US space event highlighting international thinking geared towards university students and young professionals took place last week in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA in conjunction with the 29th Annual National Space Symposium. The event gathered together a select group of 50 standout young adults from various areas of space – government, industry, and academia. SWF staff played many important roles in the Fusion Forum. Project Manager Tiffany Chow helped organize the Fusion Forum as a member of the organizing team.  Washington Office Director Victoria Samson served as moderator for the panel discussion on “Long Term Sustainability of Space” and Project Manager Natassa Antoniou as a panelist for the panel discussion on “Operational Data Exchange and Sharing of Space Assets”. SWF Executive Director Michael Simpson and Brussels Office Director Agnieszka Lukaszczyk also attended the Forum as special guests. The Report will be published soon. For more information click here.

The Seventh Group of Earth Observation European Projects' Workshop (GEPW7) brought together interested European stakeholders to present their work related to Earth Observation and to discuss how Europe can contribute to Group of Earth Observation (GEO) and Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) beyond 2015. The GEPW7 was hosted by CREAF (Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications) of the Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona (UAB) in Barcelona, Spain. The European projects showed their activities in the context of GEO in areas of biodiversity, agriculture and forestry ecosystems, infrastructure and data management, capacity building, climate and weather, disasters – supersites, private sector engagement and global initiatives (Blue Ocean, GEO Biodiversity Observation Network, GEO Global Agricultural Monitoring, etc.).

SWF is an Observer to GEO. Project Manager Natassa Antoniou participated in the workshop and made a presentation titled "Global Initiatives of Disaster Management - Where Do We Stand?". For more information about the workshop click here.

Two of the highlights of the conference were a public pre-conference session on the results of recent research on the Chelyabinsk, Russia asteroid strike and a final session in which participants were given an evolving scenario of a fictional potential asteroid impact in 2028. Participants divided into groups representing various interest groups to decide how to respond to the evolving scenario. This scenario, which involved a path of impact cutting from near the North Pole, across central Europe to North Africa, demonstrated, among other things how complex and broad would be the various interactions among asteroid experts, mission planners, disaster response managers, the media and the public. See http://www.iaaconferences.org/pdc2013/ for conference particulars. Videos of the conference sessions are available online: http://www.livestream.com/pdc2013/folder.

SWF also co-sponsored a panel discussion on April 11, 2013 entitled "Long Term Sustainability of Space - Practices for the Future." Moderated by SWF Executive Director Michael Simpson, panelists possess a wide range of expertise and included: Ambassador Jacek Bylica, Principal Adviser and Special Envoy for Non-proliferation and Disarmament, European External Action Service, European Union; Ms. Kay Sears, President, Intelsat General; Mr. James S. Simpson, Vice President of Business Development, Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems; and Dr. Kazuto Suzuki, Professor of International Political Economy, Hokkaido University, and SWF Advisory Boar Member.

The National Space Symposium is known as the premier U.S. space policy and program forum and as the “must attend” opportunity for information on and interaction among all sectors of space. It attracts attendees across all sectors of the space community, including space agencies, commercial businesses, federal and state government agencies, private organizations, cyber security organizations, think tanks, and more.

For more information on the SWF sponsored events, please click here.

To watch the SWF panel discussion, please click here.

For more information on the event, please click here.

Secure World Foundation (SWF) is pleased to announce that it will be accepting applications from young professionals for scholarships to aid in traveling to present papers at the 2013 International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Beijing, China. The goal of these scholarships is to provide young space professionals an opportunity to participate in one of the most prestigious international space conferences to further their professional development and inject new ideas into the community.

Applicants must be under the age of 35 and already have an abstract accepted for presentation at IAC in Beijing. The paper must be on one of the following topics:

• Space Sustainability
• Space Law and Policy
• Human and Environmental Security
• Planetary Defense

Applicants should fill out the form below with their contact and paper details as well as provide a short essay of no more than 500 words on why they feel it is important to present their research at IAC and what they hope to get out of the experience. Individuals selected to receive scholarships will be required to provide a trip report to SWF following the Congress.

Apply Now

For further questions, please contact Ms. Lisa Croy (lcroy@swfound.org).

On May 2, SWF Technical Advisor Brian Weeden spoke as part of a panel session organized by The Stimson Center on the issue of U.S.-China cooperation in space. The panel was preceded by a short presentation from Dr. John Logsdon, Professor Emeritus of international and political affairs at George Washington University's Elliot School, on the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz docking mission and its impact on U.S.-Soviet relationships during the Cold War.

The panel consisted of Dr. Joan Johnson-Freese, professor at the Naval War College and SWF Advisory Council member, Dr. Clay Moltz, professor at the Naval Postgraduate School, and Brian Weeden. The discussion focused on why U.S.-China cooperation might be beneficial, what the political challenges to such cooperation would be, and some ideas for possible areas of cooperation between the two countries.

Coverage of the event in China Review News can be found here (in Mandarin).

Secure World Foundation together with the Women in Aerospace Europe have organised an informal panel discussion entitled “Cooperation vs. Competition in Space Activities” to examine the present actors - states and the private sector, and their relationship to one another.

The event took place in Brussels on Tuesday, May 21st 18.00 to 20.00, at the premises of the Secure World Foundation and included a panel debate.

To see presentations, speaker bios photos and more click here.

To read "A New Arena for Cooperation," please click here.

To read more of Ms. Samson's publications, please click here.

On Thursday 16 May 2013 The International Institute of Air and Space Law of Leiden Law School and The Department of Latin American Studies of the Faculty of Humanities, Leiden University jointly organised the First Symposium on Legal and Policy aspects of space cooperation between Europe and BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) in the Netherlands and probably in Europe. Agnieszka Lukaszczyk, Brussels Office Director chaired the "INTRA-BRICS Space Cooperation and BRICS Countries' Perspectives on Cooperation with Europe" panel and she also spoke in the panel considering the outlook and recommendations in relation to space cooperation between Europe and BRICS. This event was sponsored by the Secure World Foundation and Laboratoire Europeen d'Anticipation Politique.

To see presentations, speaker bios, photos and more click here.

An electronic version of the profile can be found here.

We are pleased to release the summary report from First Symposium on Legal and Policy aspects of space cooperation between Europe and BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) in the Netherlands and probably in Europe. This event was organized by The International Institute of Air and Space Law of Leiden Law School and The Department of Latin American Studies of the Faculty of Humanities, Leiden University and sponsored by the Secure World Foundation and Laboratoire Europeen d'Anticipation Politique.

Secure World Foundation has released a new fact sheet entitled "Radio Frequency Spectrum, Interference and Satellites". The fact sheet provides an overview of the major technical, policy, legal, and security issues surrounding radio frequency (RF) spectrum and satellites.

Nearly every satellite uses some portion of the radio frequency (RF) spectrum to communicate with the ground or other satellites. As the RF spectrum is a limited natural resource, the increase in the number of terrestrial and space users leads to RF congestion that could result in unintentional radio frequency interference (RFI). Natural events such as space weather can also create RFI, as can intentional activities such as jamming. Management of the RF spectrum is a complicated policy issue, with various entities at the national and international level providing oversight and coordination. With a growing number of space actors and reliance on space, RFI is a significant challenge for ensuring space sustainability and security.

The fact sheet can be downloaded here.

On Monday, June 17, 2013, Secure World Foundation (SWF) held two panel discussions on radio frequency interference (RFI) and space sustainability. The group of experts gathered discussed the direct relationship between radio frequency communications and space sustainability, as well as the threat that RFI poses to space sustainability. SWF Technical Advisor Brian Weeden presented SWF's new fact sheet entitled "Radio Frequency Spectrum, Interference and Satellites Fact Sheet." 

To view the presentations, click here.

The fifty sixth session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space was held from 12-21 June 2013 at the United Nation Office in Vienna. As every year SWF had a strong participation in various working groups, expert groups and overall discussions. 

On Monday, February 17th, SWF Brussels Office Director Agnieszka Lukaszczyk gave a statement to the Subcommittee on behalf of the SWF. 

SWF Senior Advisor Ray Williamson also attended the meeting to participate in the Action Team-14, which supports the Working Group on Near Earth Objects. Since 2006, SWF has taken an active role in the COPUOS meeting and has also convened several events to support the development of the Action Team report.  Last February, the Action Team report was completed and submitted to the Working Group, whose report was subsequently adopted by the COPUOUS Subcommittee on Science and Technology. The report, which calls for an International Asteroid Warning Network and a Space Mission Planning Advisory Group, was now be sent to the June meeting of COPUOUS for review and adoption.

Lukaszczyk and Williamson also serve as experts in the Expert Groups of the Working Group on the Long Sustainability of the Space Activities.

Relevant documents: 

• Documents for the fifty-sixth session
• Daily Journals for the fifty-sixth session
• Technical Presentations made at the fifty-sixth session
• Celebrating 50 Years of Women in Space
• A/AC.105/1041: Compilation of proposed draft guidelines of expert groups A to D of the Working Group on the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities, as at the fiftieth session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, held in February 2013
• General Assembly Resolution A/RES/67/113: International Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (available in all official languages of the United Nations)
• Report of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Fifty-fifth session (A/67/20) (available in all official languages of the United Nations)

 Subcommittee Reports (available in all languages of the United Nations) 

• A/AC.105/1038: Report of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee on its fiftieth session, held in Vienna from 11 to 22 February 2013
• A/AC.105/1045: Report of the Legal Subcommittee on its fifty-second session, held in Vienna from 8 to 19 April 2013

•  Report of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Fifty-fifth session (A/67/20)
• Fifty-fifth session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, June 2012

•  Index of online Session Documents of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (A/AC.105/L.*** series)
• Index of online unedited transcripts of meetings of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
• Index of Online Reports of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
• Past session pages