Jessica West, SWF partner on Space Security Index, honored
Jessica West, Program Associate at Project Ploughshares and Manager of the Space Security Index, has been honored by Waterloo, Canada in its "Waterloo 40 Under 40". Forty professionals under the age of 40 from the arts, education and industry are honored each year by the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in Ontario, consisting of the municipalities of Kitchener, Cambridge and Waterloo.
The Secure World Foundation partners with Project Ploughshares on the Space Security Index, an annual publication providing detailed information on the global state of space security.
National Center for Remote Sensing, Air and Space Law posts USA-193 documents
According to Res Communis, "The National Center for Remote Sensing, Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law is pleased to make available USA-193: Selected Documents. This is the first in a new occasional series, Special Topics in Aerospace Law. The series is being offered as a supplement to the Center's primary publication, the Journal of Space Law. The Journal of Space Law is the world's oldest law review dedicated to space law and is available online through HeinOnLine in its Core U.S./Most-Cited Law Journals collection. USA-193: Selected Documents is a compilation of the major documents that were generated by the shooting down of the satellite USA-193 on 20 February 2008, and is being released on the first anniversary of the event.
"USA-193 is, itself, an event with critical implications for space law. It is also one in a series of events that, collectively, are raising important, practical space law issues. These events include the reported Chinese ASAT test conducted against the Chinese Fengyuan 1C polar-orbiting weather satellite on 11 January 2007 and the on-orbit collision of the Iridium - 33 and Cosmos 2251 satellites on 10 February 2009. The latter event is the first known occurrence of two bona fide space objects from different Nation-States colliding into one another in open space. Among some of the issues raised by all of these events are determining liability for harm caused in space, in air and on Earth; causing harm to the space environment; and the obligation to inform or warn. Some of the most important issues specifically raised by the USA-193 event emerge from Art. IX of the Outer Space Treaty and include how to define 'peaceful purposes' and 'potentially harmful interference' as well as what constitutes 'appropriate international consultations' before conducting an activity that has the potential for harmful interference with space activities of other States Parties. This compilation is offered to advance the understanding of these, and other important issues."
Brian Weeden, Technical Consultant for the Secure World Foundation, has written an article for The Space Review summarizing the events surrounding the Iridium 33-Cosmos 2251 collision. The article, "Billiards in Space," also provides recommendations on how to prevent such an event from taking place in the future, with the preferred solution being an international civil space situational awareness system.
SWF President Cynda Collins Arsenault interviewed by Peace and Security Funders Group
Secure World Foundation President Cynda Collins Arsenault was recently interviewed by the Peace and Security Funders Group (PSFG). From the PSFG newsletter (The Peacemaker): "Cynda discusses opportunities and challenges for advancing space security issues in the Obama administration and in the new Congress. She also highlights key space issues we should be paying attention to, such as overcrowding in certain orbits, and shares strategies and efforts SWF has found to be most effective in making progress on space issues. Click here to read our interview with Cynda."
Satellite Collisions: Plan Outlined for Civil Space Traffic Control System
The recent collision of a U.S.-operated Iridium satellite and a Russian spacecraft has spotlighted the need for an International Civil Space Situational Awareness (SSA) system.
Brian Weeden, Technical Consultant for Secure World Foundation (SWF), noted the February 10 collision of the two satellites resulted in the generation of space junk that now circles Earth and threatens spacecraft from a host of nations.
"This collision is yet another example of the potential fragility of Earth orbit and the need for increased awareness," Weeden told the subcommittee.
Root cause of last week’s collision
Weeden used the example of driving a car with the windows blacked out. Even with a GPS device to display the car’s position on the road and not having information available about the locations or actions of other cars.
"This environment of limited information is the same in which many of the satellites in Earth orbit are operated today," Weeden said. "The owner or operator of a particular satellite usually has excellent knowledge about the position of that satellite in space, but little to no information about the locations of other objects around them," he added.
"This problem was the root cause behind last week’s collision of a U.S. commercial satellite and a Russian spacecraft - the owner of the satellite which could have maneuvered did not know about the impending close approach," Weeden explained.
Weeden advised the subcommittee that, unfortunately, most actors in space do not have the resources or capacity to provide the critical space situational awareness information necessary to make safe and secure decisions regarding actions in space.
"The few States that do have the resources to provide this information,” Weeden said, “are often limited by national security or military restrictions from sharing it with other actors."
Tools needed
SWF believes that the solution to this problem is the creation of an International Civil SSA system. The goal of this system would be to provide all space actors access to the tools needed for safe and sustainable activity in Earth orbit.
The two key tools this system would provide are sensor data and analytical capacity to utilize that data in decision-making processes.
The concept of SSA is not new - it has been an important part of military space activities for several years. But like many other types of information, there is also a need for SSA in the civil world.
The fundamental difference between the international civil SSA system SWF is advocating and that used by the military is in the types of information provided. Civil SSA only needs to focus on the location of an object in Earth orbit and a point of contact for that object, along with information about space weather.
The additional military requirements of determining function, intent, and capabilities and limitations are not intended to be part of a civil SSA system.
Global sensor coverage
The Foundation believes that such a system needs to be international in both its creation and operations, Weeded advised the subcommittee. Accurate tracking of all objects in Earth orbit requires a geographically distributed network of both radar and optical telescopes.
"Such a network is very expensive to create and maintain, and only the United States has thus far developed one," Weeden pointed out. "And while the United States' space surveillance network does provide the most complete SSA data in the world, it still has significant limitations due to the lack of coverage in areas where the United States does not have a presence."
In addition to global sensor coverage, an international civil SSA system must also include data from commercial satellite owner-operators: these entities have data on the locations of their satellites more accurate than any ground-based sensor could obtain.
"The key to making such a system work is in the data sharing model," Weeden said.
Central clearing house
One potential model would have each participant in the system choosing what data they provide to a central clearing house. All participants would have access to all of the shared data in the clearing house, enabling them to do their own independent analysis. All participants would also have access to analytical support from the central data clearing house to offset the lack of indigenous capability.
"Many States, working together in a voluntary partnership with commercial partners, could provide the necessary data to all actors,” Weeden said. "This information could not only mitigate future collisions but enhance cooperation, transparency and future space governance issues."
SWF is eager to work with organizations around the world to explore the possibility of an international civil space situational awareness system, along with other options and proposals that will enable safe and secure activities in Earth orbit.
The symposium features a wide ranging number of sessions, from International Goals and Perspectives on Security to Civil Security and Military Space and Dual Use.
Secure World Foundation (SWF) is a proud sponsor of the International Space University symposium, with leaders of the SWF taking part in the three day program.
The International Space University (ISU) organizes a three-day symposium as an interdisciplinary, international forum to help both the users and the providers of space-related systems move forward from the discussion of problems to the formulation of innovative solutions.
Rules of the road
At a time when more nations make use of space, the stakes also become higher. It is clear that a new era of using space for the benefit of all has dawned.
"This means that rules of the road are required to manage traffic, prevent misunderstandings, mitigate production of orbital debris, and generally avoid destructive behavior," said Phil Smith, Communications Director for the Secure World Foundation.
Smith added: "At the same time, our use of space to monitor the Earth and support disaster management has become quite sophisticated, making it possible to address how to more effectively share Earth observation data globally."
Learning to use space more effectively through cooperative relationships will likely have a reciprocal effect when it comes to certain challenges on Earth, Smith explained. "Sometimes, an enormously complex and challenging opportunity teaches us about the fundamentals. . .in this case the use of space teaches us about how to live better on our planet."
In addition, Brian Weeden, Technical Consultant for SWF, will be presenting "The Case for International Civil Space Situational Awareness," with contributions from Dr. Williamson and Ben Baseley-Walker, Legal and Policy Consultant for the Secure World Foundation.
Global space community
The International Space University provides graduate-level training to the future leaders of the emerging global space community at its Central Campus in Strasbourg, France, and at locations around the world.
ISU students take part in a unique Core Curriculum covering all disciplines related to space programs and enterprises – space science, space engineering, systems engineering, space policy and law, business and management, and space and society.
International graduate students and young space professionals work together to solve complex problems in an intercultural and collaborative environment.
Since its founding in 1987, ISU has graduated more than 2700 students from 100 countries. Together with hundreds of ISU faculty and lecturers from around the world, ISU alumni comprise an extremely effective network of space professionals and leaders that actively facilitates individual career growth, professional activities and international space cooperation.
Frank Morring, Jr., Amy Butler and Michael Mecham discuss the need for distributed constellations of satellites in an Aviation Week article. Referring to the recent collision between Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251, the authors include the following: "James Lewis, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says the Iridium constellation's ability to absorb the loss of a spacecraft with 'minimal degradation' to its overall service is a model that the Defense Dept. should seek to emulate by introducing more redundancy into its own space systems."
"'Forget the Exquisite Satellites.' That's the message from the thinking man's Marine, General James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who told a U.S. Chamber of Commerce confab in Washington yesterday that the Defense Department may lose its edge in space because of a policy that has led to slow development of costly satellites." According to the article, "Defense needs to shifts its satellite focus away from 'the next cutting edge trinket' to cheaper satellites that it can launch in numbers that will give the United States the advantage of scale over an exquisite design, Cartwright said. Unless Defense changes its approach to space systems, it will 'lose a significant national security advantage.'"
Space deterrence, specifically a form of it called denial deterrence, is a subject being worked on at the Secure World Foundation.
The draft code on civilian and military use, which includes pledges on the integrity of orbiting space objects, was already approved by EU ministers on December 8, the Czech Presidency of the bloc said -- well before the collision.
NASA revealed Thursday that a disused Russian military satellite and a US communications satellite owned by the Iridium company had crashed into each other on Tuesday.
Countries signing up to the code would pledge to maintain freedom of access and use of outer space "for peaceful purposes without interference, fully respecting the security, safety and integrity of space objects in orbit," according to the text released here.
They would also pledge to cooperate to "prevent harmful interference in outer space activities" and seek to prevent outer space from being an area of conflict even if they were engaged in military activities in space.
"The European Union is currently consulting other space faring nations on the text with the aim of reaching a consensus... that would be acceptable for as many states as possible," Ivan Pinte, the Czech ambassador, told the conference.
The world's only disarmament treaty-making body has been deadlocked for more 13 years, unable to agree on what issues - including full nuclear disarmament or curbs on the production of fissile material -- they should negotiate.
One of the most controversial areas for the 65 nations is an attempt by Russia and China to seek a binding treaty to prevent the arms race in outer space.
That has mainly met with US resistance due to Washington's planned "star wars" missile defence programme.
Pinte said Thursday that the EU "appreciates" the Russian and Chinese efforts to improve space security and "identifies with the overall goal," but had qualms about the effectiveness of the proposal.
The voluntary code put forward by the Europeans was not meant to replace other initiatives to build confidence and transparency, he emphasised.
According to Dr. Ray Williamson, Executive Director of Secure World Foundation, "delegates to the United NationsCommittee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) have shown deep concern about the Iridium 33–Cosmos 2251 satellite collision and are asking how that can be prevented in the future. Discussion of space debris was already scheduled for the agenda this coming week and we can expect to hear further concern about it."
More blog entries will be posted here following events at the session.
UN Reiterates the Importance of the Implementation of the Space Debris Guidelines
VIENNA, 13 February (UN Information Service) - The Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Mazlan Othman reiterated today the call by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to all Member States and international organizations to voluntarily take measures to ensure that Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines are fully implemented. Ms. Othman stressed that "the prompt implementation of appropriate space debris mitigation measures is in humanity's common interest, particularly if we are to preserve the outer space environment for future generations". The Director of UNOOSA's comments above echoed the wishes contained in the voluntary Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (A/62/20) endorsed by the General Assembly Resolution 62/217.
On 10 February 2009, at approximately 16:55 GMT, the inactive Russian Federation communications satellite "Cosmos 2251" and the operational United States satellite "Iridium 33" collided at an altitude of 790 km above the Earth. The collision created a cloud of nearly 700 pieces of space debris. Space debris remain in orbit for a considerable length of time and pose a risk to spacecraft orbiting Earth. The Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (A/62/20) adopted by UN General Assembly Resolution 62/217, aim to curtail the generation of such potentially harmful space debris.
The voluntary Guidelines outline space debris mitigation measures for the mission planning, design, manufacture and operational (launch, mission and disposal) phases of spacecraft and launch vehicle orbital stages. In adopting the Guidelines, the Committee agreed that it would increase mutual understanding on acceptable activities in space and thus enhance stability in space-related matters and decrease the likelihood of friction and conflict. Many Member States have incorporated the voluntary Guidelines through national mechanisms.
Developments in space debris mitigation will be discussed during the current 46 th session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The agenda item of space debris will be considered by Member States and international organizations next week.
NPR report on Iridium 33-Cosmos 2251 collision features SWF's Brian Weeden
To hear Nell Greenfieldboyce's story on the collision, which features comments by SWF's Brian Weeden, click here (once on the page, click the icon labeled "Listen Now."
The collision this week involving an active U.S. commercial Iridium satellite and an inactive Russian Cosmos 2251 satellite in low Earth orbit has demonstrated an urgent need to establish a civil space traffic control system.
According to information from the U.S. Air Force’s Space Surveillance Network, over 500 pieces from the Cosmos satellite and 194 pieces from the Iridium satellite were now being tracked in two separate debris clouds.
While investigations are underway regarding the events leading up to the collision of the two spacecraft – with details still forthcoming in the days ahead -- the implications of the incident are in need of immediate discussion.
Data warning
"Unfortunately, it appears that there was data warning about the possibility of this collision beforehand," noted Brian Weeden, Technical Consultant for Secure World Foundation. "However, it must be stressed that close approaches between satellites somewhere in Earth orbit occurs on almost a weekly basis...and until this event, have never before resulted in an actual collision."
Weeden noted that in every case it is impossible to give a definite answer on whether or not two objects will actually collide, only probabilities and potential risks.
"Getting the right information to the right authorities in time to make the right avoidance maneuver decision is a very complicated process that doesn't entirely exist yet,” Weeden said. “The Secure World Foundation is working with many other organizations around the world to try and develop this process."
That process involves the creation of a space traffic control system.
Increasingly congested environment "This collision underscores in a dramatic way the importance of instituting an international civil space situational awareness (SSA) system as soon as possible," said Dr. Ray Williamson Executive Director of Secure World Foundation.
Williamson said that such a civil SSA system could have been used to warn the Iridium operations managers of the danger of collision and allow them to take evasive action. "In the absence of reliable ways to clear debris from orbit, it will be increasingly important to follow all active satellites to prevent future preventable collisions," he added.
Williamson said that the satellite collision has been spotlighted in a statement of the United States, delivered this week during the 46th Session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) being held in Vienna.
That COPUOS statement explains: "Since space is becoming an increasingly congested environment, heightened space situational awareness as well as international cooperation between governments and industry is critical in the future."
The collision of the two spacecraft on February 10 is being addressed in Vienna with SWF's Weeden highlighting the incident during his presentation to the COPUOS Subcommittee as an example of the need for a civil space situational awareness system.
Orbital tracks for Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251 modeled
A video modeling the collision has been provided by AGI.
One can see that the orbits are perpendicular, so it is probable the collision was glancing, rather than head-on. Two distinct clouds of debris may have formed as a result. More information about the nature of the debris cloud(s) can be expecting in the coming days and weeks.
Another image, using AGI's Satellite Toolkit software shows a bit more detail.
According to Don Kessler, a former NASA expert on orbital debris and now an orbital debris and meteoroid consultant in Asheville, North Carolina, there have been three othyer hypervelocity incidents in orbit. However, the Iridium 33-Cosmos 2251 incident is the first to involve two satellite bodies.
December 23, 1991: Russian Cosmos 1934 collided with a piece of debris from Cosmos 926. Only two debris cataloged from Cosmos 1934. Altitude 980 kilometers.
July 24, 1996: French Cerise spacecraft collided with a piece of Ariane rocket body debris (from an explosion 10 years earlier). Part of a large boom on Cerise was severed. Only one piece of debris cataloged from Cerise (upper part of boom). Cerise later resumed operations. Altitude 685 kilometers.
January 17, 2005: U.S. Thor-Burner 2A rocket body (launched in 1974) collided with a piece of a Chinese rocket body which had exploded in March 2000. Only four debris cataloged from Thor-Burner 2A. Altitude 885 kilometers.
February 10, 2009: U.S. Iridium 33 spacecraft collided with Russian Cosmos 2251. Hundreds of debris detected. Altitude 790 kilometers.
Official Statement by United States on Iridium 33-Cosmos 2251 incident
Statement of the United States On the February 10 Collision of the Iridium and Cosmos Satellites (delivered at the 46th Session of the UNCOPUOS Scientific and Technical Subcommittee on February 12, 2009)
Due to the interest in this Sub-Committee with the matter of space debris, the United States would like to inform delegations that on February 10, a collision occurred involving an active U.S. commercial Iridium satellite and an inactive Russia satellite (Cosmos 2251) in low Earth orbit. The U.S. Strategic Command, which routinely tracks and catalogues more than 18,000 man-made objects orbiting the Earth, is currently investigating the events leading up to the collision, and details may not be forthcoming for many days while the analysis of the event continues. As of late yesterday, the U.S. Air Force’s Space Surveillance Network was tracking 505 pieces from the Cosmos satellite and 194 pieces from the Iridium satellite in two separate debris clouds. As with all objects large enough to be tracked, new pieces of debris resulting from the collision will be posted on the public website , so that all nations and companies with assets in space have access to the information.
There is little risk to the International Space Station due to orbiting debris from the collision. However, the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA are conducting further analyses on the risk due to the debris. The U.S. will provide additional notifications to foreign governments and commercial operators, if its tracking and analysis identifies safety-of-flight hazards.
We have not consulted with our space debris experts who will be here next week to address our regular topic of space debris, but we expect to have more details on the debris cloud created by this incident next week.
Since space is becoming an increasingly congested environment, heightened space situational awareness as well as international cooperation between governments and industry is critical in the future.
Iridium Satellite LLC, operator of the lost Iridium satellite, also issued a statement.
Collision between Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251 satellites identified
A U.S.-operated Iridium satellite (Number 33), one of a 66-member constellation and a Russian satellite designated Cosmos 2251 collided shortly before noon Eastern Standard Time (1700 GMT) February 10. The collision occured at an altitude of about 790 kilometers, somewhere above Siberia. Shortly after Iridium Satellite LLC lost contact with its satellite, the U.S. Space Surveillance Network (SSN) confirmed that a collision occured after detecting the debris cloud. Reuters has reported that the U.S. Joint Space Operations Center is tracking 500 to 600 new pieces of debris caused by the collision, some as small as eight centimeters across, in addition to the 18,000 or so other debris already catalogued. According to spacetoday.net, "...there had been collisions between spacecraft and smaller debris objects in the past, but never before had two relatively large spacecraft run into one another." Further details of this collision are expected in the coming days. Image courtesy of BBC News.
This week, Brian Weeden, Technical Consultant for Secure World Foundation, will be presenting at the United NationsCommittee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) 46th session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee on the subject of civil space situational awareness (SSA). The Iridium-Cosmos 2251 incident will be highlighted as an example of the need for a civil SSA system. Brian's presentation will be made available on this website after formal presentation.
Implications stemming from the 1972 Liability Convention are also currently being discussed and further developments on this front will be posted to the SWF website.
Leonard David, SWF Research Associate, is taking part this week in laying out an astrobiology roadmap for NASA. The meeting of experts includes scientists, lawyers, ethics experts, anthropologists, as well as astronomers and planetary scientists. The goal of the gathering is to produce a multi-disciplinary research roadmap to study life here on Earth and elsewhere in the Universe - including the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Included in the wide-ranging discussion is the consideration of the Near Earth Object (NEO) threat to Earth - and the overall role of NEO impacts in both snuffing out life as well as being an active ingredient in promulgating life. The meeting is being held at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California.
Secure World Foundation attending 46th session of COPUOS Scientific and Technical Subcommittee this week
The forty-sixth session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space is being held from February 9-20, 2009 at the United Nation Office at Vienna, Vienna International Center, Vienna, Austria. The Secure World Foundation, which has COPUOS permanent observer status, is in attendance, represented by Dr. Ray Williamson (Executive Director), Brian Weeden (Technical Consultant), Ben Baseley-Walker (Legal and Policy Consultant) and Agnieszka Lukaszczyk (Space Policy Consultant).
Of particular interest to SWF this session will be space situational awareness (SSA), near Earth objects and orbital debris. Ray will present on the Space Security Index and Brian will present on civil SSA.
Updates on SWF activities at the session will be provided here on a daily basis.
Eurisy, ESPI and HSO co-organise conference on governance in Budapest
From left to right: Charlotte Mathieu (ESPI) , Paul Counet (Eumetsat), Evert Dudok (President Eurospace), Kai-Uwe Schrogl (ESPI) , Alan Cooper (ESA), Sylvia Kainz-Huber (European Commission), Peter Hulsroj (ESA)
Washington, DC Event: A Day Without Space: Economic and National Security Ramifications
The second in a series of three forums, the "Day Without Space" forum will focus on the economic and national security ramifications if our space assets were compromised for a period of time. General James Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will provide a keynote address.
Date and time: Thursday, February 12, 2009 9:00 AM - 12:00PM
Location: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Washington, DC
Contact: David Logsdon dlogsdon@uschamber.com Phone: 202-463-5479
SWF Legal and Policy Consultant in Moscow as judge for Philip C. Jessup International Law Competition
Ben Baseley-Walker, Legal and Policy Consultant for the Secure World Foundation, is currently in Moscow, Russia to judge the Russian national rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Competition. The competition includes 42 teams from all across Russia. Ultimately, five teams will be selected to represent Russia and will move forward to the international rounds which will be held in spring in Washington, DC.
Secure World Foundation Advisory Committee Member Rachel Yates Presents at University of Colorado Law School
Rachel Yates, attorney and partner at Holland & Hart law firm, presented today on the subject of U.S. and state law as they apply to space tourism, an emerging space market.
Before an audience of 25 law students, Rachel described the current state of the law and how the Federal Aviation AdministrationOffice of Commercial Space Transportation applies regulations derived from the CFR regarding commercial orbital and suborbital launches. In addition, the laws of the States of Florida, New Mexico and Virginia were discussed in this context.
Rachel also provided a mock scenario to help illustrate the anticipated challenges of the law as it applies to passenger flights into space. Such matters as "inherent risk," "absolute liability" and "neglegence" were discussed in detail.
Rachel will be chairing a panel on the matter of space law and policy at the 2009 National Space Symposium sponsored by the Space Foundation. She also authored a recent article entitled "Informal Regulation of Space Activities" in the 2008 Nebraska Law Review, Volume 87, Number 2. The article provides an excellent brief on the current state of U.S. law as applied to commercial launch activities.
Several opening statements at 2009 UN Conference on Disarmament session include space security language
The 2009 session of the United NationsConference on Disarmament convened on January 20, with a new chairman from Vietnam, Ambassador Le Hoai Trung. Sixty-five Member States compose the CD. Several opening statements included language related to space security.
India:
"There is a growing concern that the current technological developments, in particular related to ASAT [anti-satellite], may impact negatively on the present international legal framework on outer space. We, therefore, support international efforts to reinforce safety and security of space based assets and to prevent the placement of weapons in outer space. There are a number of proposals on the table, including a draft treaty tabled by Russia and China, which deserve further consideration."
Bangladesh:
"Outer space is the common heritage of humankind. It must be explored for peaceful purposes only. Militarization of outer space could spiral into an arms race. This "multi-billion dollar race for destruction" has to be prevented. The onus lies on the countries that have the capability to reach outer space. They will have to ensure that outer space is used exclusively for peaceful purposes. When the CD resumes its substantive work, it must take up this issue for adopting an international instrument for averting the weqaponization of space."
Iran launches its own satellite for the first time: SWF weighs in
The orbiting of the first Iranian satellite on February 2 signals a new independent launch capability for that nation, but also highlights the need for world-wide attention to issues of space security.
The satellite, named Omid-1 – meaning "hope" in Persian – is believed to have been placed into Earth orbit purportedly using a two-stage Safir-2 rocket from Iran’s Semnan Satellite Launch Site. The launch of the domestically built satellite appears to have been timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution. Above is a calculated orbital track of Omid-1, courtesy of AGI and CSSI.
Preserve the space environment Iran joins an elite club of nations and regions capable of independently launching spacecraft into Earth orbit, along with Russia, the United States, Europe, China, Japan, India and Israel.
"As codified in the 1967 Treaty on Outer Space, outer space has long been seen as a global commons that any country has the right to use in advancing its development, prosperity, and security," said Dr. Ray Williamson, Executive Director of Secure World Foundation (SWF).
Dr. Williamson also noted: "In addition to this right, according to the treaty, each country also has a responsibility to protect the space environment from harm. We applaud Iran's entrance to the space club and urge Iran to take its part in the international effort to preserve the space environment for future generations of space farers."
Responsible actor in space "Iran joining the list of States who have indigenous access to space once again underscores the need for the global community to tackle the problem of space security," said Brian Weeden, SWF’s Technical Consultant.
Weeden said that "a critical step towards solving this problem is ensuring that all space-faring States understand the consequences their actions in space can have in the long term for everyone and have the tools necessary to be a responsible actor in space." International space situational awareness and a Code of Conduct, Weeden added, are just two of the multitude of options available.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, who reportedly observed the satellite launching, spotlighted the achievement: "Dear people of Iran," he said, "your children have sent Iran's first domestic satellite into orbit. May this be a step towards justice and peace," noting that the space achievement has been added to the pages of history.
Strategy of engagement According to Phil Smith, SWF’s Communications Director, the Omid satellite does not pose a strategic risk to the United States or, frankly, the rest of the world. "While the inclination may be to characterize the event as a threat, it would be more useful to see it as an opportunity to engage Iran, as well as other existing and emerging space powers, on matters of space security."
Agnieszka's talk focused on the history of international space policy, highlighting key events (founding of the United NationsCommittee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, UNISPACE III) and documents (1967 Outer Space Treaty, etc.) along the way. She also discussed the importance of inspiring and educating the younger generations worldwide on space matters, especially since the subject has the unique attribute of encouraging cooperation and goodwill. As part of this part of her talk, Agnieszka also discussed the role of the Space Generation Advisory Council and how it works.
Agnieszka also provided a few links to SGAC videos:
Agnieszka holds a Masters degree in International Politics from the School of International Service at the American University in Washington DC. Studied in US, Belgium, Poland, and Switzerland. Before joining SGAC, Agnieszka has interned at the Polish Embassy in Washington DC, American Electronics Association Europe in Brussels, EU Dept of the Senate of the Republic of Poland, and the Warsaw Business Journal. Agnieszka is a dual citizen of Poland and United States.
