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Secure World Foundation Newsletter
July 2020
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Insight - A Conversation with SWF Advisory Committee Member Bill Parker
By Project Manager Josh Wolny
This month, we decided to try a new approach to our monthly Insight piece. This is our first featured interview with a member of the space policy community. What follows is a transcript of a conversation, edited for clarity.
Josh: Hi Bill, nice to talk to you today. Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about yourself, a little bit about your background, how you came to be on the SWF Advisory Committee, and how you’re involved in the space community?
Bill: Always good to be with you, Josh. As you've heard me say on many occasions, you get smarter by being around smart people. I was fortunate enough in my life to have served the people of the United States as a Foreign Service Officer, also known as a diplomat. I served with my family all over the world. And because of that, I've had opportunities to meet and to engage in pretty much all facets of foreign life, but even more important, bringing American life to other countries.
In many of my roles, we would bring cultural artists and scientists from America to various countries, and also send nationals from those countries back to the U.S. Early on, during the Gemini and the Apollo programs, we brought astronauts to various countries. We brought Shuttle models and we even brought Moon rocks over to exhibit and display. We also sent foreign scientists and astronauts to NASA and Cape Canaveral for launches, et cetera. From a very young age to now, I was very interested in space and the international components of space.
Read more here.
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Announcements
Initial Speakers Announced for the 2nd Summit for Space Sustainability
Two months out from the September 9-11 Summit, SWF is excited to announce our initial round of confirmed speakers. These professionals, from across the world and all corners of the space community will bring their unique perspectives to the Summit. Follow the link above to read their bios and follow this link to register for the event.
Peter Martinez Honored with Frank J. Malina Astronautics Medal
Executive Director Peter Martinez, Ph.D was honored by the IAF with the 2020 Frank J. Malina Astronautics Medal, "for his outstanding contributions to space education in South Africa and beyond as well as being an educator and promoter of the study of astronautics and space sciences in academic teaching as well as performing education, public, scientific and political outreach."
Since 1986, the Frank J. Malina Astronautics Medal is presented annually to an educator who has demonstrated excellence in taking the fullest advantage of the resources available to them to promote the study of astronautics and related space sciences. The Frank J. Malina Astronautics Medal recipient is traditionally honored during the International Astronautical Congress’ (IAC) closing ceremony.
Daniel Porras Joins SWF Team as Director of Strategic Partnerships and Communications
SWF is pleased to welcome Mr. Daniel Porras to our team as the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Communications, effective July 1. Previously, Mr. Porras was the Space Security Fellow at the UN Institute for Disarmament Research, where he focused on political and legal issues surrounding space security. Mr. Porras' areas of expertise include international space law and policy, emerging technology threats, international law, and political science. He is looking forward to connecting with existing partners and the broader SWF community.
2nd Summit for Space Sustainability Student Essay Competition
In conjunction with the 2nd Summit for Space Sustainability, SWF is hosting an essay competition as a way of promoting ideas and participation from students. The top five essays will be published on the Summit for Space Sustainability website, and these authors will be acknowledged during the Summit and will each receive a $500 prize. Follow the link above for more information including topics, contest rules, and the submission form.
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Publications
Executive Summary of 2020 Global Counterspace Capabilities Report Now Available in Spanish and French
The Executive Summary of our 2020 Global Counterspace Capabilities Report is now available in Spanish and French. This annual 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.
SWF Releases Updated Compilation of Anti-satellite Testing in Space
SWF has released an updated compilation of the history of anti-satellite (ASAT) testing in space as a public Google Spreadsheet. The update was done by SWF summer intern Kaila Pfrang, working with Director of Program Planning Dr. Brian Weeden. The goal of the spreadsheet is to document all ASAT tests in space and any orbital debris created by those tests.
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Events
Jun 3, 2020 and Jun 10, 2020
SWF Co-Hosts Webinars on Rethinking PAROS, the Hague Code of Conduct and Beyond
These events were a part of "The Launch Pad Seminars: A Virtual Forum For New Ideas on Space Security and Related Matter," a series organized by The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), in cooperation with SWF and the Fondation pour la recherche strategique. The penultimate webinar was on lessons from the Hague Code of Conduct and featured presentations from Laura Grego, Paul Meyer, and Dmitry Stefanovich. The series concluded with a final webinar on multilateral approaches to space security and stability, with presentations from Ben Silverstein and former UNIDIR Space Security Fellow Daniel Porras (now SWF Director of Strategic Partnerships and Communications) on UNIDIR’s space dossier, “Alternative Approaches and Indicators for the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space.”
Jun 5, 2020
SWF Co-Hosts Research Salon on Lunar Safety Zones
The third edition of the Moon Dialogs Research Salon featured presentations from Yoav Landsman, mission manager of the Beresheet Lunar Lander, and Professor Timiebi Aganaba-Jeanty of Arizona State University’s School for the Future of Innovation, to discuss mission operator and international law perspectives on establishing safety zones on the lunar surface. The Moon Dialogs project is a collaboration between Open Lunar Foundation, SWF, the MIT Media Lab: Space Exploration Initiative, Arizona State University Interplanetary Initiative, and For All Moonkind.
Jun 12, 2020
SWF Hosts Webinar Discussion on Trends in Latin America’s Space Activities
SWF was pleased to recently host our first Spanish-language webinar, "New Actors in the Space Domain: Latin America and the Caribbean". Moderated by SWF Advisory Committee Member Laura Delgado López, the panel included Victoria Valdivia, a Chilean Space Policy Advisor and Mentor at Space4Women, Julio Cesar Castillo Urdapilleta from the Mexican Space Agency, Luis Zea from the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, and Federico Jack from Satellogic.
Jun 24, 2020
SWF and MIT Space Enabled Research Group Hosts Webinar Discussion on Food Security and Space Technology
Co-hosted by the Space Enabled research group and SWF, this discussion looked at how data derived from space technologies such as navigation, communication and remote sensing capabilities play a unique role in addressing food security challenges, and guiding policymakers on today's policies for future food security. Speakers from MIT, NASA, World Food Program, and FluroSat looked at examples of real-world applications of space data to address food security around the world and shared pathways of collaboration and coordination between agencies and organizations working on this topic.
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Staff Activities and Presentations
Jun 3, 2020
SWF Staff Contributes to Discussion of Perspectives of Developing Countries on Space Resources and Lunar Activities
Director of Private Sector Programs Ian Christensen spoke as a panelist in a webinar on the topic "Involving Everyone: Perspectives of Developing Countries on Space Resources and Lunar Activities." The webinar was organized by the SGAC Space Exploration Project Group (SEPG) and a recording is available via SEPG’s Facebook page.
Jun 23, 2020
SWF Addresses Chilean National Academy of Political and Strategic Studies
Washington Office Director Victoria Samson spoke at a webinar for the Chilean National Academy of Political and Strategic Studies (ANEPE) on a broad number of issues affecting the security and stability of the space domain. Her presentation can be found here.
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