Brian Weeden Delivers Keynote Lecture on Policy Aspects of Space Debris and Sustainability

Thursday, January 21, 2016

SWF Technical Advisor Brian Weeden delivered a keynote lecture on policy aspects of space debris and space sustainability to the Stardust Global Virtual Workshop II, organized by the University of Southampton. The Workshop brought together experts to discuss the challenges of dealing with asteroids and space debris with a focus on the technical aspects. The workshop is part of a series of events organised by the Stardust training and research network and it is the second of the virtual workshops. 

Mr. Weeden's presentation examined the policy challenges to implement technical solutions for dealing with space debris. It began by looking at the macro-level policy challenges in mobilizing governments and users to act, focusing on the unique properties of super wicked and collective action problems. The presentation then turned to some of the micro-level policy, legal, and economic challenges for space debris, including figuring out which country owns which space object and the shortcomings of economic incentives. Mr. Weeden concluded with a set of recommendations for making progress on policy solutions and potential next steps.