promoting cooperative solutions for space sustainability swfound.org ©2011 secure world foundation....

Promoting Cooperative Solutions for Space Sustainability

swfound.org<Event, Date> ©2011 Secure World Foundation. Used with Permission

APPRAISING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VOLUNTARY RULES IN THE SPACE

DOMAIN: AN NGO PERSPECTIVE

Ray A. WilliamsonSenior Advisor

Secure World [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


swfound.org<Event, Date>

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

http://www.swfound.org/



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.



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



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.



1960 1970 1980

1990 2000 2010

Images courtesy NASA Debris Office

The Growing Orbital Debris Threat



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)



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 to monitor 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



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



Reaching Sustainability: The Way Forward

• The process is important, even critical for reaching agreement1. Identifying the need for some rules2. Broad international consultation and discussion to

understand the technical & operational issues3. Developing a draft set of rules4. Broad international consultation and discussion to collect

concerns over draft rules5. Revising draft rules to meet State concerns6. More international consultation and discussion to arrive at

an agreed draft among most if not all State actors



ORBITAL DEBRIS GROWTH

Catalogued Debris in Orbit



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

http://swfound.org/media/1800/ssa_fact_sheet.pdf

http://swfound.org/media/1800/ssa_fact_sheet.pdf



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

SWF INFORMATION RESOURCES

http://swfound.org/resource-library/





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