Newswise — The coming year presents challenge and promise for the secure and sustainable use of space for the benefit of Earth and all its peoples.
In 2008, significant steps were taken for the cooperative and effective use of space for the protection of the Earth's environment and human security.
Those actions help build a bridge to 2009 to better deal with a host of space-related topics, from coping with hazardous space debris to ensuring the peaceful uses of outer space, as well as using space systems to protect and preserve Earth's environment.
"In our search for a secure world, we face many challenges and opportunities in 2009," said Cynda Collins Arsenault, President and co-founder of the Secure World Foundation. "Many issues loom in the foreground " the economy, the environment, poverty, health care, etc. In our interconnected world we can no longer understand or approach these problems in isolation"¦nor can we solve them with polarized views."
Arsenault observed that studies, articles and reports abound with dire predictions for 2009. But among the bigger stories are multitudes of examples of good news " signs of cooperation, new ideas, and greater efficiency. "Many of these are enabled by our space assets and the knowledge gained from them," she said.
Problem solving
For the coming year, Arsenault added, there are a number of practical problems to face, and strive for solutions to those issues" from menacing orbital debris, ever-crowded orbits, and the lack of sufficient governance mechanisms for problem solving.
"We can learn from what's worked and what hasn't worked on Earth to apply our best ideas in space to create a secure and sustainable environment," Arsenault said.
The Secure World Foundation (SWF) spotlights progress in 2008 on several fronts:
-- The work underway by the Association of Space Explorers, which has flagged the danger to the planet from incoming asteroids, organizing a series of workshops to identify possible institutional mechanisms for dealing with this problem. In 2008 they presented their findings to numerous international bodies including the United Nation's (UN) Security Council.
-- Consideration by the European Union of a Code of Conduct for outer space activities. Recognizing that a first step for space will be an international agreement on a Code of Conduct for space activities, both the European Union and a group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) headed by the Stimson Center spent much of 2008 diligently addressing model Codes of Conduct. These models are being taken to the larger international community.
-- The incoming U.S. Obama administration recognizes the importance of international approaches to global issues, offering new possibilities for moving forward on related space issues in 2009. SWF partners have contributed White Papers on matters related to space governance, which were presented to the Obama transition team and to space-related staff members in the White House Office of Science of Technology Policy and the Department of State.
-- France has convened an informal working group of space experts, governments and industry to develop a set of practical "Best Practices" for the term "sustainability of outer space."
-- Space situational awareness and space traffic management became more visible topics as the satellite industry, military and governments explore better options for keeping their satellites safe from Earth orbiting debris. Representatives from these groups came together this year in Rome where the commercial satellite industry and the Center for Space Standards and Innovation discussed their embryonic effort to create a data center to share satellite tracking data"¦possibly the beginning of true international civil space situational awareness.
Accomplishments and the year ahead
Dr. Ray Williamson, SWF's Executive Director, highlighted key accomplishments of the Foundation in 2008. These included:
-- Attained Permanent observer status with the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).
-- Admitted to UN COPUOS Action Team 14 (Working Group on Near Earth Objects).
-- Established Space Security Committee in International Astronautical Federation.
-- Developed key relationships in China as well as work with Latin American officials on space policy development.
Looking into the coming year, Secure World Foundation is engaged in an action-oriented agenda on space security, partnering with several different organizations to develop new methods of ensuring space security while maintaining the peaceful uses of outer space.
Additionally, among other activities, SWF is focusing on planetary defense and the international policies needed to respond to the threat from near Earth objects (NEOs) conferences in Nebraska and Granada, Spain.
As we look to the future, SWF's Cynda Collins Arsenault asks: "What new leaders will step forward to inspire us in terms of our use of space for problem solving? What new discoveries will be made? What new inventions will open doors?"
Dr. Williamson also noted: "Whatever the future brings, SWF plans to be there to promote the international cooperative use of space for benefit of Earth and all its peoples."
Reporters note:
For more information on a selection of SWF's activities throughout the year, please go to:
Space Situational Awareness: Europe Takes Important Stephttp://www.newswise.com/articles/view/546930/
Asteroid Threats to Earth " UN Officials Briefed on Need for Global Responsehttp://www.newswise.com/articles/view/546932/
Traffic Management in Outer Space: Call for a Global Civil Systemhttp://www.newswise.com/articles/view/546192/
A Code of Conduct for Outer Space " A Step Forward on Managing Satellite Traffichttp://www.newswise.com/articles/view/539115/
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