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Evaluating Voluntary Rules for Space Sustainability: An NGO Perspective

Explore the effectiveness of voluntary guidelines in maintaining a sustainable space environment, considering international cooperation, challenges, and the role of NGOs.

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Evaluating Voluntary Rules for Space Sustainability: An NGO Perspective

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  1. APPRAISING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VOLUNTARY RULES IN THE SPACE DOMAIN:AN NGO PERSPECTIVE Ray A. Williamson Senior Advisor Secure World Foundation rwilliamson@swfound.org

  2. About Secure World Foundation Secure World Foundation (SWF) is a small, privately-endowed non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to the secure and sustainable use of space for the benefit of Earth and all its peoples. http://www.swfound.org

  3. The Foundation… • Engages with academics, policy makers, scientists and advocates in the space and international affairs communities to support steps that strengthen global space sustainability.  • Promotes the development of cooperative and effective uses of space for the protection of Earth’s environment and human security.  • Acts as a research body, convener and facilitator to advocate for key space security and other space related topics and to examine their influence on governance and international development.

  4. Secure World Foundation • Recognizes the substantial benefits afforded to society by space systems • Recognizes that the sustainability of the space environment is threated • Supports the development of workable international rules and procedures in support of the long term sustainability of the space environment • Recognizes that there are many ways to achieve space sustainability • Assists efforts toward space sustainability with independent analysis, publications, and focused international discussion

  5. Space sustainability is... Ensuring that all humanity can continue to use outer space for peaceful purposes and socioeconomic benefit. This will require international cooperation, discussion, and agreements designed to ensure that outer space is safe, secure and peaceful.

  6. The Growing Orbital Debris Threat 1960 1970 1980 Images courtesy NASA Debris Office 1990 2000 2010

  7. Some Voluntary Rules In support of a safe, secure, sustainable environment • Inter-Agency Debris Coordinating Committee (IADC) Guidelines • UN COPUOS Debris Guidelines • Proposed International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities • Proposed “best practice guidelines” of UN COPUOS Working Group on the Long Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities (LTSSA)

  8. Why Do Voluntary Guidelines Work? • Voluntary guidelines are worked out by majority of stakeholders in multilateral setting; political buy-in • States are responsible for actions of citizens in space • States need to tomonitor and regulate actions • Desire of most States to be seen as responsible members of global community • Every State operating in outer space has a self-interest in maintaining a sustainable space environment, so it can continue to operate safely and effectively

  9. Issues with voluntary rules • Growing number and complexity of space actors • New agencies • Private companies, some very large, international ones • Universities • International governmental organizations (IGOs) • Space activities within a State may progress faster than State regulations and licensing • Compliance depends on the will of the State to monitor and regulate space activities of its citizens • Less wealthy States may find it difficult to follow guidelines agreed to by wealthy ones

  10. Reaching Sustainability: The Way Forward • The process is important, even critical for reaching agreement • Identifying the need for some rules • Broad international consultation and discussion to understand the technical & operational issues • Developing a draft set of rules • Broad international consultation and discussion to collect concerns over draft rules • Revising draft rules to meet State concerns • More international consultation and discussion to arrive at an agreed draft among most if not all State actors

  11. Catalogued Debris in Orbit ORBITAL DEBRIS GROWTH

  12. Some future challenges • Improving space situational awareness (SSA) of objects in outer space* • Creation of SSA programs in spacefaring States • Improved sharing of warnings by the United States • Development of the Space Data Association • International Scientific Optical Network (ISON) • Debris removal • Experts estimate that the space community will need to remove 5-10 large objects per year to reduce long term threat from fragmentation • Not just a technical issue, but also political, legal, economic one * See http://swfound.org/media/1800/ssa_fact_sheet.pdf for more information

  13. SWF INFORMATION RESOURCES http://swfound.org/resource-library/ • Space debris • Space law • Space situational awareness • Country and region specific space issues • Planetary defense • Human security and space • Civil space • International security and space • National security and space

  14. Thank you Questions?

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