Private Actors in Space
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The document discusses the shift in the space industry towards private actors, highlighting that 76% of the global space economy now consists of the satellite sector, with significant expected growth in private investment. It outlines the evolving role of governments as regulators and customers in the context of private space enterprises like Blue Origin and SpaceX, emphasizing the need for compliance with international treaties governing space activities. Furthermore, it raises legal considerations concerning international responsibility for actions taken by private entities in outer space, emphasizing the necessity of cooperation and environmental protection.
Private Actors in Space
- 1. Private Actors in Space THE FUTURE OF OUTER SPACE SECURITY 2019 GEOPOLITICS AND GLOBAL FUTURES SYMPOSIUM Geneva Centre for Security Policy Christopher D. Johnson Space Law Advisor, Secure World Foundation
- 2. Source: Bryce Space and Technology, 2019 State of the Satellite Industry Report
- 3. 76% of the global space economy is the satellite industry Satellite industry (communication services, launch, ground segment) is the only commercial space market at scale – few truly commercial markets in other segments. Source: Bryce Space and Technology, 2019 State of the Satellite Industry Report
- 4. Source: Bryce Space and Technology, 2019 State of the Satellite Industry Report
- 5. Fifty years ago, the United States and Soviet Union were the only significant national space programs, and only a small number of commercial entities were involved in substantial space activities. Today, U.S. Government space programs make up barely a quarter of global space budgets.
- 6. In the next 10 years, even as global space spending is expected to double, government budgets, according to some experts, will make up less than a seventh of the total pie, with the U.S. Government contributing only 5 percent of the total.
- 7. Private Actors in Space Who are they? Manufacturers, launch providers, spacecraft operators, etc., (all along the value chain) • Manufacturers (rockets engines, smaller satellites, spacecraft components, etc.) • Launch providers (including small satellite launch providers, new rocket companies, etc.) • Spacecraft operators (remote sensing companies, telecommunications (voice & data), maritime domain awareness, mixed payloads (shared gov./private spacecraft), etc.)
- 8. Private Actors in Space What is the role of the governments in all this? What is their relationship to private actors in space? Governments are • Regulators • Customers • Partners As Customers: trend is for governments becoming customers, who will merely buy the end product, and not specify the process (design, details, etc.,) As a Customer (amongst other customer), governments get what the market offers (with a limited ability to influence demand). However, new private actors can offer governments resiliency & redundancy (with quick launch times).
- 12. The world's richest man revealed the plans for the secretive project from his spaceflight company, Blue Origin, and announced his plan to create the building blocks for interplanetary travel and settlement.
- 13. The Amazon founder identified two initial goals that Blue Origin would focus on: a radical reduction in launch costs and establishing resources for space. Like Elon Musk's SpaceX, Blue Origin has focused on reusable rockets.
- 14. Blue Origin would begin by sending humans into space in 2019 on New Shepard, a suborbital vehicle designed for space tourism, which uses liquid hydrogen, an incredibly efficient fuel source. “We’re going to be flying humans in New Shepherd this year," Bezos said.
- 15. Bezos extolled his belief in the idea that humans could live in environments that were ideal and create colonies where heavy industry can be carried out without subjecting the Earth to atmospheric pollution.
- 16. Outer Space Treaty Article VI States Parties to the Treaty shall bear international responsibility for national activities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, whether such activities are carried on by governmental agencies or by non-governmental entities, and for assuring that national activities are carried out in conformity with the provisions set forth in the present Treaty.
- 17. Outer Space Treaty Article VI The activities of non-governmental entities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall require authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty. When activities are carried on in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, by an international organization, responsibility for compliance with this Treaty shall be borne both by the international organization and by the States Parties to the Treaty participating in such organization.
- 18. Legally speaking, All activities in outer space are national activities.
- 19. Legally speaking, All activities in outer space are national activities. Whatever a private actor does, at least one (1) government is international responsible for; and possibly more than one government. Internationally responsible and potentially internationally liable.
- 20. Outer Space Treaty Article VII Each State Party to the Treaty that launches or procures the launching of an object into outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, and each State Party from whose territory or facility an object is launched, is internationally liable for damage to another State Party to the Treaty or to its natural or juridical persons by such object or its component parts on the Earth, in air space or in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies.
- 21. So, if you have the money & tech, can you do whatever you want in outer space?
- 32. Outer Space Treaty Article IX In the exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, States Parties to the Treaty shall be guided by the principle of cooperation and mutual assistance and shall conduct all their activities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, with due regard to the corresponding interests of all other States Parties to the Treaty.
- 33. Outer Space Treaty Article IX States Parties to the Treaty shall pursue studies of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, and conduct exploration of them so as to avoid their harmful contamination and also adverse changes in the environment of the Earth resulting from the introduction of extraterrestrial matter and, where necessary, shall adopt appropriate measures for this purpose.
- 34. “Peaks of Eternal Light” New paper from Dr. Elvis:
- 35. Emerging Governance Challenges Top-Down or Bottom-Up Approach? Benefits of both approaches The concept of ‘Subsidiarity’
- 37. Recommended Reading James Clay Moltz, CROWDED ORBITS – CONFLICT AND COOPERATION IN SPACE
- 38. Thank you for your attention Christopher D. Johnson Space Law Advisor Secure World Foundation cjohnson@swfound.org
- 39. Image Credits and References Tom Abate, Stanford and NASAAmes researchers put inexpensive chip- size satellites into orbit, STANFORD NEWS, 3 June 2019; Available at https://systemx.stanford.edu/news/2019-06-03-000000/stanford-and- nasa-ames-researchers-put-inexpensive-chip-size-satellites-orbit Blue Origin, https://www.blueorigin.com/our-mission Alan Boyle, After Satellite flap, Swarm Technologies raises $25M for space-based network, 26 Jan. 2019, GEEKWIRE, https://www.geekwire.com/2019/satellite-controversy-swarm- technologies-raises-25m-space-based-iot-network/ Bryce Space and Technology, Reports, https://brycetech.com/reports.html Tim Fernholz, the FCC said no. Swarm Technologies launches its satellites anyway, QUARTZ, 20 Mar. 2018, https://qz.com/1230354/swarm-technologies-how-the-silicon-valley- start-up-launched-satellites-without-government-permission/ Jeff Foust, Blue Moon and the infrastructure of space settlement, THE SPACE REVIEW, 13 May 2019, http://www.thespacereview.com/article/3713/1 Catie Keck, FCC Fines Swarm Technologies $900,000 for Launching Illegal Satellites into Orbit, 20 Dec. 2018, GIZMODO; https://gizmodo.com/fcc-fines-swarm-technologies-900-000-for- launching-ill-1831245846 Marco Langbroek, SpaceX Starlink objects train 24 May 2019, VIMEO, https://vimeo.com/338361997 Rocketlab, Humanity Star, Rocketlab website
- 40. Image Credits & References Continued SpaceX, Falcon Heavy and Starman, Youtube; https://youtu.be/A0FZIwabctw Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI), Global Trends in Space Volume 1: Background and Overall Findings Spaceborne, KickSat Sprite deployment, Youtube; https://youtu.be/I7xvQgClMf0 David Szondy, Swarm of 105 tiny Sprite ChipSats successfully deployed, 6 June 2019, NEW ATLAS, https://newatlas.com/sprite- chipsat-swarm-deployed/59994/ Soo Youn & Christine Theodorou, Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos unveils plans for space colonization, 9 May 2019, ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/Business/blue-origin-jeff-bezos-unveils- lunar-lander-mission/story?id=62941981
Editor's Notes
- #10: Elon Musk: Net Worth 17 Billion USD Jeff Bezos : Net Worth 146 Billion USD (richest man in the world, richest man in past 100 years) Paul Allen – Stratolaunch Richard Branson – Virbin Galactic & Virgin Orbit
- #13: Billionaire Jeff Bezos announced his plans for space colonization, starting with the moon. The world's richest man revealed the plans for the secretive project from his spaceflight company, Blue Origin, and announced his plan to create the building blocks for interplanetary travel and settlement.
- #26: On May 23, SpaceX delivered 60 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO). This drop in the bucket likely represents the beginning of a deluge. The Elon Musk-led company would like to launch anywhere from 800 to 1,000 interconnected Starlink satellites—and possibly as many as 12,000—to complete the constellation. Once the network is operational, Starlink will deliver affordable high-speed internet to paying customers around the globe, including to remote regions. Other companies are planning to enter into this market as well, including OneWeb, Space Norway, and Telesat.
- #28: The ChipSats, called Sprites, forming a swarm of cracker-sized nanosatellites were deployed from the Kicksat-2 CubeSat on March 18, 2019 at an altitude of 300 km (186 mi) and contact was established by Stanford University and NASA Ames engineers the next day by a Cornell satellite ground station. Each ChipSat costs less than US$100, weighs only 4 grams, measures 1.4 in (3.5 cm) square, and is essentially a circuit board equipped with a short-range telemetry transmitter and several sensorsThe ChipSats, called Sprites, forming a swarm of cracker-sized nanosatellites were deployed from the Kicksat-2 CubeSat on March 18, 2019 at an altitude of 300 km (186 mi) and contact was established by Stanford University and NASA Ames engineers the next day by a Cornell satellite ground station. Each ChipSat costs less than US$100, weighs only 4 grams, measures 1.4 in (3.5 cm) square, and is essentially a circuit board equipped with a short-range telemetry transmitter and several sensors. Because the Sprites are so small, they have a very large surface-to-volume ratio, so they acted like little parachutes that caught the almost non-existent upper atmosphere, causing their orbits to decay in a few days before burning up in the Earth's atmosphere. Cornell says that this feature makes such ChipSats self-disposing, so they don't pose a risk of contributing to space debris.
- #29: The ChipSats, called Sprites, forming a swarm of cracker-sized nanosatellites were deployed from the Kicksat-2 CubeSat on March 18, 2019 at an altitude of 300 km (186 mi) and contact was established by Stanford University and NASA Ames engineers the next day by a Cornell satellite ground station. Each ChipSat costs less than US$100, weighs only 4 grams, measures 1.4 in (3.5 cm) square, and is essentially a circuit board equipped with a short-range telemetry transmitter and several sensors. Because the Sprites are so small, they have a very large surface-to-volume ratio, so they acted like little parachutes that caught the almost non-existent upper atmosphere, causing their orbits to decay in a few days before burning up in the Earth's atmosphere. Cornell says that this feature makes such ChipSats self-disposing, so they don't pose a risk of contributing to space debris.
- #30: The ChipSats, called Sprites, forming a swarm of cracker-sized nanosatellites were deployed from the Kicksat-2 CubeSat on March 18, 2019 at an altitude of 300 km (186 mi) and contact was established by Stanford University and NASA Ames engineers the next day by a Cornell satellite ground station. Each ChipSat costs less than US$100, weighs only 4 grams, measures 1.4 in (3.5 cm) square, and is essentially a circuit board equipped with a short-range telemetry transmitter and several sensors. Because the Sprites are so small, they have a very large surface-to-volume ratio, so they acted like little parachutes that caught the almost non-existent upper atmosphere, causing their orbits to decay in a few days before burning up in the Earth's atmosphere. Cornell says that this feature makes such ChipSats self-disposing, so they don't pose a risk of contributing to space debris.
- #31: The ChipSats, called Sprites, forming a swarm of cracker-sized nanosatellites were deployed from the Kicksat-2 CubeSat on March 18, 2019 at an altitude of 300 km (186 mi) and contact was established by Stanford University and NASA Ames engineers the next day by a Cornell satellite ground station. Each ChipSat costs less than US$100, weighs only 4 grams, measures 1.4 in (3.5 cm) square, and is essentially a circuit board equipped with a short-range telemetry transmitter and several sensors. Because the Sprites are so small, they have a very large surface-to-volume ratio, so they acted like little parachutes that caught the almost non-existent upper atmosphere, causing their orbits to decay in a few days before burning up in the Earth's atmosphere. Cornell says that this feature makes such ChipSats self-disposing, so they don't pose a risk of contributing to space debris.
- #32: The ChipSats, called Sprites, forming a swarm of cracker-sized nanosatellites were deployed from the Kicksat-2 CubeSat on March 18, 2019 at an altitude of 300 km (186 mi) and contact was established by Stanford University and NASA Ames engineers the next day by a Cornell satellite ground station. Each ChipSat costs less than US$100, weighs only 4 grams, measures 1.4 in (3.5 cm) square, and is essentially a circuit board equipped with a short-range telemetry transmitter and several sensors. Because the Sprites are so small, they have a very large surface-to-volume ratio, so they acted like little parachutes that caught the almost non-existent upper atmosphere, causing their orbits to decay in a few days before burning up in the Earth's atmosphere. Cornell says that this feature makes such ChipSats self-disposing, so they don't pose a risk of contributing to space debris.
- #37: The Alpha Centauri system comprises a binary pair of Sun-like stars, Alpha Centauri A and B, accompanied by Proxima Centauri, which at 4.22 light years is the closest star to the Sun. The new planet has roughly the mass of the Earth, and may have a rocky composition. Although it lies in the “habitable zone” of its star, where the temperature might allow liquid water, it is unknown at the moment whether it has either water or an atmosphere, or whether other conditions on its surface are suitable for life. These and other properties will be objects of intense investigation in the coming years. Even if it is not habitable, Proxima b, being by far the closest known exoplanet to Earth, is a dramatic discovery and an obvious first target. A mature Starshot mission would attempt to aim its nanocrafts within 1 Astronomical Unit (93 million miles) of the planet. From this distance, its four cameras could potentially capture an image of high enough quality to resolve surface features such as continents and oceans, if they exist.