Over the last several decades, observers and participants in multilateral discussions on space security have had little to cheer about.
Since the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) agenda item first began within the Conference on Disarmament (CD) in the 1980s, little progress has been made.
The root cause was opposing views between the major players on what the biggest threat was to space security and stability and how to address it. Russia and China argued that it was weapons placed in outer space and proposed a new treaty banning them.
The United States and its allies strongly opposed the draft treaty on the grounds that it was unverifiable and that there was no weaponization of space taking place.
SAVE THE DATE: 6th Summit for Space Sustainability
Location: The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan), Tokyo
Make sure to mark your calendars for this unique opportunity to collaborate with global stakeholders from government, industry, and civil society, all committed to developing solutions for space sustainability.
The 6th Summit for Space Sustainability will be held in coordination with the APAC’s leading commercial space conference SPACETIDE 2024, which will take place in Tokyo from July 8-10, 2024.
SWF Helps Develop New Model to Assess Policy Proposals for Space Sustainability
In September 2022, Secure World Foundation was part of a team that won a NASA grant to study the economic, social, and policy issues with space sustainability.
The goal of our study was to develop an integrated assessment model (IAM) that could be used to better evaluate the various public policy proposals to deal with space sustainability challenges related to large constellations, orbital debris, and space traffic management.
The research was led by Professor Akhil Rao from Middlebury College and Professor Daniel Kaffine from the University of Colorado-Boulder. SWF Director of Program Planning Dr. Brian Weeden contributed policy-related aspects of the work.
SWF Staff Publish Op-Ed on Progress in Space Sustainability Discussions
SWF Washington Office Director Victoria Samson and Director of Program Planning Brian Weeden published an op-ed extolling recent U.S. leadership in diplomatic discussions on space security and stability. “US seizes initiative on space security for the first time in decades,” published in Defense News, argues that for the United States, “[T]here is a clear opportunity to build on the growing global momentum created by its ground-breaking pledge” (to commit not to conduct destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite missile tests)
SWF was delighted to co-organize with the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) the Outer Space Security Conference 2023 (OS23) in Geneva, Switzerland, at the United Nations’ Conference on Disarmament OS23 is an annual flagship event that provides a unique forum for the diplomatic community - as well as experts from military, industry, and academic backgrounds - to jointly consider challenges and solutions related to security in outer space, as well as how various initiatives and processes can be brought together in a reinforcing and complementary manner. SWF Executive Director Dr. Peter Martinez and Washington Office Director Victoria Samson moderated panels, while SWF Director of Program Planning Brian Weeden spoke about threats to space security and stability.
SWF Leads Discussions on Commercial SSA Markets, U.S. Civil SSA Efforts, and Translating Best Practices to STM at 2023 AMOS Conference
For the eleventh year, SWF staff contributed to the annual Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference, which was held in a hybrid format from Sept. 19-22, 2023. SWF helped organize and actively participated in the Policy Forum held at the beginning of each day, which consisted of a keynote speaker followed by a panel discussion on a policy topic related to space situational awareness (SSA), and also organized a side event, the AMOS Dialogue, to discuss issues related to SSA data sharing. This year’s topics looked at the Evolution of the Commercial SSA Data Market, U.S. Progress on Civil SSA and STM, and Moving from Industry Best Practices to Space Traffic Management Rules.
SWF Executive Director Dr. Peter Martinez spoke at the first NYSE Space Forum: Bridging Space & Capital Markets, where he discussed the importance of responsible behavior in space and the concept of responsible investment in space. During his remarks he gave a preview of the upcoming SWF and Venture Capital Institute Guidebook for Responsible Investment in the Space Sector, which is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2024.
SWF Discusses the Promise and Challenges of Space Innovation at TechCrunch Disrupt
SWF Director of Program Planning Dr. Brian Weeden participated in a panel discussion at the 2023 TechCrunch Disrupt conference, which was held in San Francisco, CA, on Sept. 19, 2023. The event, co-sponsored by The Aerospace Corporation was part of the Space Track at Disrupt and focused on how this unprecedented time in space offers incredible new possibilities for benefits on Earth but also poses significant sustainability challenges.
Dr. Weeden was joined on the panel by Steve Isakowitz, President & CEO, The Aerospace Corporation and Dr. Peter Wegner, Chief Strategy Officer, BlackSky, and it was moderated by Susan Karlin, a regular contributor at Fast Company.
SWF Participates in the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum
SWF's Director of Private Sector Programs Ian Christensen and Director of Space Application Programs Krystal Azelton attended the 29th Session of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-29), focused on the theme of “Accelerating Space Economies through Regional Partnership.”
Ms. Azelton moderated a key session during the Space Industry Workshop, a panel on Space-Enabled Solutions for the APAC Social Issues. Industry representatives from across the region and world spoke about how their technologies contribute to regional socioeconomic problems such as connectivity, climate change, and pollution.
In addition, Mr. Christensen participated in the Space Policy and Law Working Group while Ms. Azelton engaged with the Enhancement of Space Capability Working Group.
September 25-27 | Bengaluru, India
SWF Participates in the Dialogue on India-US Cooperation
SWF Washington Officer Director Victoria Samson traveled to Bengaluru, India, to participate in a dialogue between the National Institute for Advanced Studies (NIAS) and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on International Security and Arms Control (CISAC) on “India-US Cooperation on Global Strategic Security Threats of the 21st Century.” Ms. Samson spoke on space security and emerging security challenges, as well as possibilities for India and the United States to cooperate in space.
SWF was on a Panel at the Georgetown Law Summit in Emerging Technology Policy
SWF Director of Space Application Programs Krystal Azelton participated in a panel discussion at the Georgetown Law Summit on Emerging Technology Policy, which was held in Washington, DC September 27-28. Presented by the Institute for Technology Law & Policy in collaboration with Perkins Coie, this two-day event convened academics, policymakers, practitioners, and students to discuss where we are, what comes next, and how to center accountability, inclusion, and justice in the creation of policies to address emerging technologies.
SWF Staff Discusses Evolution of the Commercial Space Sector and Legal Implications from Military Applications
SWF Director of Space Applications Programs Krystal Azelton and Director of Program Planning Dr. Brian Weeden both participated in the 2023 Fall Space Law Conference organized by the University of Nebraska’s Space, Cyber, and Telecommunications Law Program on September 29th in Washington, DC. The annual conference brings together legal experts and students to discuss current challenges in military and commercial space law.
8-10 November | Victoria Samson will speak on space security issues at a conference on NATO and space in Forli, Italy
10-11 November | Christopher Johnson and Ian Christensen will attend the 2023 Paris Peace Forum in Paris, France
29 November - 1 December | SWF, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), and the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) will co-host an International Workshop on Space Resources: Perspectives of Emerging Space Programs in Daejeon, Korea
The Secure World Foundation and United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) have developed a toolkit to help with transparency and common understanding of space security issues.
To facilitate a shared understanding of key topics and terms, UNIDIR and SWF have developed a Lexicon for Outer Space Security.
This document aims to serve as a global reference point for terminological issues related to space security. As well, SWF and UNIDIR have created the Space Security Portal, an interactive map of the global space security governance landscape.
