|
|
|
|
|
|
Secure World Foundation Newsletter
April 2020
|
|
COVID-19 Statement from
SWF Executive Director Peter Martinez
|
|
A month ago, when we were putting the finishing touches on our March newsletter, there were ominous signs of COVID-19 becoming a global pandemic, and we started to plan for its disruptive effects on SWF operations. By mid-month, in the short space of one week, we decided first to suspend international travel, then domestic travel within the United States, and then we switched to tele-working mode. For the past two weeks the SWF staff has been working from home and we expect to remain in this current mode of operations at least until the end of May, and possibly longer.
In order to support social distancing efforts, all SWF events planned for the March to May timeframes in the United States and elsewhere have either been postponed or cancelled. In some cases it has been possible to reorganize events from in-person gatherings to virtual online events using internet teleconferencing services. Some are reported in this newsletter. In other cases, events are being postponed until the third or fourth quarter of 2020. The SWF Summit for Space Sustainability has been postponed from its originally scheduled dates in early June to September 10-11, 2020. We hope to welcome many of you to this event in person.
We would like to take this opportunity to express our solidarity with our colleagues and partner organizations around the world at this difficult time. If anything, COVID-19 shows that we are all together on spaceship Earth, that we all share a common future, and that what each of us does on one side of the globe has impacts far, far away.
It was Heraclitus of Ephesus, a pre-Socratic Ionian Greek philosopher of the 6th century BCE, who once said “everything flows, and nothing stays,” meaning that nothing is constant and that all things change. Nowadays this is often paraphrased as “The only constant in life is change.” The space community certainly embodies this notion of perpetual change, and we have become used to witnessing change at a breathtaking pace. COVID-19 is certainly introducing many changes in the way we work and interact with each other, and how this will play out in the space sector in general, and for SWF in particular, remains to be seen. However, we are confident that our guiding vision of the peaceful uses and exploration of outer space contributing to global stability and benefits on Earth will continue to be just as relevant in a post COVID-19 world as it is today. We will therefore continue to work with our partners and colleagues around the world to preserve outer space as a sustainable, secure, safe and stable operating environment for space actors from all nations. We would like to thank all of you for your understanding and flexibility, and to assure you that you can also count on our support, as we work together through this challenging period.
Kind regards,
Peter Martinez
Executive Director, Secure World Foundation
|
|
Insight - Continued Proliferation of Global Counterspace Capabilities and Implications for Space Security
By Director of Program Planning Brian Weeden and Washington Office Director Victoria Samson
Over the last several years, there has been growing concern from multiple governments over the reliance on vulnerable space capabilities for national security, and the corresponding proliferation of offensive counterspace capabilities that could be used to disrupt, deny the use of, degrade, or destroy space systems. This in turn has led to increased rhetoric from some countries about the need to prepare for future conflicts on Earth to extend into space, and calls from some corners to increase the development of offensive counterspace capabilities and put in place more aggressive policies and postures.
In 2017, Secure World Foundation launched a project to develop an open source assessment of global counterspace capabilities that would raise the awareness of space threats among policymakers and the public and lead to a more open dialogue on how to respond. The report - Global Counterspace Capabilities: An Open Source Assessment - began tracking developments in multiple countries across five different categories of counterspace capabilities. In April 2020, we released the third edition of the report that adds two more countries (France and Japan), a new category (space situational awareness (SSA)), and new activities from 2019 across all the countries and categories.
Read more here
|
|
2nd Summit for Space Sustainability Postponed
Due to the continuing spread of COVID-19 and the impact on travel and gatherings in the coming months, SWF has decided to postpone the 2nd Summit for Space Sustainability from June 2-3, 2020 to September 10-11, 2020.
The safety and health of our attendees, speakers, and staff, as well as the quality of the event, remain our highest priorities, and we hope that postponing the Summit will alleviate health concerns as well as allow us to put on a higher quality event. Registration will remain open and programming and partner announcements will follow in the weeks and months to come.
SWF Colorado Office Seeking Intern
SWF, in cooperation with our partner Caelus Foundation, is looking for a motivated candidate to support a May – August 2020 research project on misperceptions between U.S. and Chinese commercial space industry stakeholders. Applications are due April 17, 2020.
Now Available: Commentary on the Building Blocks for the Development of an International Framework on Space Resources Governance
The Hague International Space Resources Governance Working Group, of which SWF is a member, announced the publication of its Commentary on the Building Blocks for the Development of an International Framework on Space Resources Governance. The Commentary is published by Eleven International Publishing and offers background information on the work of the Group and the formulation of the Building Blocks. It includes the explanation, legal basis and discussed alternatives for each of the 20 Building Blocks, along with a summary of the Working Group activities. The publication can be read online at the link above; and is available for purchase in hard copy through Eleven Publishing. SWF provided partial sponsorship for the online availability of the Commentary.
|
|
|
Mar 5, 2020
The Legal Status of MegaLEO Constellations and Concerns About Appropriation of Large Swaths of Earth Orbit
Space Law Advisor Chris Johnson’s chapter in The Handbook of Small Satellites explores the international law applicable to global constellations (also known as megaconstellations) and whether the scale and scope of these constellations constitute impermissible appropriation of entire orbits.
Mar 10, 2020
Outcome Statement: Operating in Space: Current Multilateral Policy Issues and Challenges
This past January, participants representing 18 states across the Indo-Pacific region met in Singapore to discuss the growing importance of measures such as norms of responsible behavior and other confidence building measures in order to maintain outer space as a safe, secure, and sustainable environment. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Wilton Park hosted this event organized in partnership with the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and SWF.
Mar 10, 2020
Event Report: Workshop on Responsible Space Behavior and the Democratization Of Space
This past February, SWF, in partnership with the Singapore Space and Technology Association, organized a workshop on the topic of “Responsible Space Behavior and the Democratization of Space.” The workshop was held on the day prior to the 2020 Global Space and Technology Convention in Singapore. The report summarizes the event, specifically focusing on the key theme of culture and sustainability.
Mar 30, 2020
2020 Global Counterspace Capabilities: An Open Source Assessment
SWF is proud to announce the release of its annual report, “Global Counterspace Capabilities: An Open Source Assessment.” Edited by Director of Program Planning Brian Weeden and Washington Office Director Victoria Samson, this report compiles and assesses publicly available information on the counterspace capabilities being developed by multiple countries across five categories: direct-ascent, co-orbital, electronic warfare, directed energy, and cyber. It assesses the current and near-term future capabilities for each country, along with their potential military utility.
|
|
Staff Activities and Presentations
|
|
|
Mar 2, 2020
SWF Discusses the Pros and Cons of "Guardian" Satellites and Space Zones of Control
Dr. Weeden participated in a workshop on "Working Smarter with America's Spacefaring Allies" organized by the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center and American Bar Association Standing Committee on Law and National Security in Washington, DC. Dr. Weeden also took part in a panel discussion on the pros and cons of space zones of control and bodyguard satellites for defending against hostile rendezvous and proximity operations in space.
Mar 2, 2020
SWF Presents on Satellite Servicing Standards and Implementing Guidelines for Long-term Sustainability of Space at JSF Symposium in Tokyo
Dr. Weeden gave two presentations at the International Symposium on Ensuring Stable Use of Outer Space in Tokyo, Japan. The annual event is organized by the Japan Space Forum and brings together international experts to talk about cooperation on space situational awareness and space sustainability. Dr. Weeden gave a presentation on the ongoing efforts to implement the 21 guidelines for the long-term sustainability of space activities agreed to at the United Nations in 2019 and another presentation summarizing the work of the Consortium for the Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations (CONFERS) in developing best practices and standards for commercial satellite servicing. In addition, Dr. Weeden co-moderated the closing panel on steps that can be taken to guarantee a sustainable space environment for future generations.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
