Sustainable Use of Outer Space

29 Oct

Choose your country here: https://doodle.com/poll/yv236kwzbfhv7t8i?utm_source=poll&utm_medium=link

Introduction to the Committee

Outer space affairs are regulated by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), which was established in 1958, a month after the launch of Sputnik. Although it started out as an ad-hoc committee, it was later formally established by UN Resolution 1472. UNOOSA is the only United Nations Office entirely dedicated to outer space affairs. The office manages and implements the programme on the peaceful uses of outer space, advancing international cooperation in space and the use of space science and technology for sustainable development, particularly for the benefit of developing countries. The committee meets annually in Vienna, Austria, to discuss questions relating to current and future activities in space.

Introduction to the Topic

Space, the final frontier. It has always been a topic of fascination for humans. It is therefore not surprising that we would eventually start to explore it. In the late 1950s, we were finally able to launch the first satellites into space and use the information they provided for things we now take for granted such as GPS, (more accurate) weather forecasts etc. Such inventions have in the present day made it possible to monitor hurricanes and prepare for them accordingly or use infrared pictures to increase crop growth, just to name a few examples. The launch of the first satellite was by the Soviet Union in 1957 and by 2019, we had collectively launched a further 2’500 satellites into space. However, as much as we have been busy launching new satellites, we have also neglected to take care of the debris left behind after each launch or after a satellite eventually becomes inactive.

As various countries have been exploring space, many have quickly come to the realization that some guidelines are direly needed. Without any guidelines, different values and points of view can obviously clash with each other as there can be very different motivations behind exploring space. Some see it as an opportunity to make scientific advances and improve everyday life, others see it as an opportunity to advance militarily. Apart from establishing guidelines, it is of course also important to seek a way to enforce and implement them.

Current Situation

Space Debris

Space junk or space debris is any piece of machinery or debris left by humans in space. It can refer to big objects such as dead satellites, in other words, satellites that have failed or been left in orbit at the end of their mission, but it can also refer to smaller things, such as bits of debris or paint flecks that may have fallen off a rocket.

Some human-made junk has been left on the moon too. While there are about 2,000 active satellites orbiting Earth at the moment, there are also already 3,000 dead ones currently littering space. What's more, there are around 34,000 pieces of space junk larger than 10cm in size and millions of smaller pieces that could nonetheless also prove disastrous if they hit something else.1 All space junk is the result of us launching objects from Earth, and it remains in orbit until it reenters the atmosphere. Debris or satellites left at higher altitudes than 36,000 km above sea level, where communications and weather satellites are often placed in geostationary orbits, can continue to circle the earth for hundreds or even thousands of years, perhaps even long after humanity will have died out.

Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities

The Guidelines for the Long-term Sustainability [LTS] of Outer Space Activities are a set of 21 voluntary best practices negotiated and adopted by consensus at the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS). The guidelines touch on a range of activities aimed at enhancing the sustainability of the space environment, the safety of space operations, international cooperation, capacity-building, and scientific and technical research. Although voluntary, the guidelines do become legally binding, as states adopt the recommended measures through national legislation and regulations. The guidelines are considered a “living document” that will be updated periodically.

These guidelines are grouped into four categories:

• policy and regulatory framework for space activities
• safety of space operations
• international cooperation, capacity-building, and awareness
• scientific and technical research and development

Actions taken in the Past

At the dawn of the creation of the committee, there was a general concern for an arms race in outer space, since the technology was progressing at an incredibly fast pace. Thus, just one month after Russia’s first Sputnik launch, the UNGA passed its first resolution on the topic of outer space in November 1957. In Resolution 1148, the GA urged “the joint study of an inspection system designed to ensure that the sending of objects through outer space shall be exclusively for peaceful and scientific purposes.”

In 1959, in Resolution 1472, the GA established the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (CPUOS). The committee, which meets annually, now has 77 UN Member States. The GA charged CPUOS with studying measures to promote the peaceful use of outer space.

In 1967, the GA adopted the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer space which agreed to the following provisions:

● the exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and shall be the province of all mankind;
● outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all States;
● outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means;
● States shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner;
● the Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes;
● astronauts shall be regarded as the envoys of mankind;
● States shall be responsible for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental entities;
● States shall be liable for damage caused by their space objects, and
● States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies.

“Preventing an Arms Race in Outer Space” is a regular item on the GA’s agenda, and typically at least one resolution per year has been passed on the topic in recent years.

Conclusion

As our focus will be exclusively on the strategic use of outer space, it is imperative that you focus on your countries’ interests and balance your approach to the discussion by taking into account stances regarding the sustainable development of space programmes, funding of space programmes in developing countries, addressing the problem of space debris and how the problem could be tackled in the future or more specifically, how we could implement and enforce the existing guidelines.

Questions a Resolution Should Address

1. How do we help developing countries build their capacity to develop and make the most out of the space sector?

2. What measures can be taken to encourage multilateral cooperation, especially among nations with considerable space exploration capabilities?

3. How can we ensure sustainable outer space activities in order to preserve space for future generations?

4. What can be done to prevent the creation of space debris in the future?

Practical Advice for your Research

When researching your country’s position, think about the following questions:

● Does your country have any space programs? If so, what is their end goal?
● Is your country part of the UNOOSA? (use this link to find that out: https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/copuos/members/evolution.html)
● Are there any past statements made by prominent politicians on this topic?
● Has your country come up with any innovative solutions regarding sustainability in outer space or enacted any legislation regarding the topic?

Country Picks

(this list follows no particular order and is not conclusive)

● Russian Federation

● France

● United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

● Japan

● Canada

● Argentina

● Spain

● Germany

● Luxembourg

● India

● Italy

● Republic of Korea

● South Africa

● United States of America

● China

Bibliography

O’Callaghan, J. (2018). What is space junk and why is it a problem? https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-space-junk-and-why-is-it-a-problem.html (retrieved 27.10.2021).

Skinner, B. (2020). SSI ISSUE GUIDE: SPACE POLICIES, GOVERNANCE, AND REGULATION. Guidelines for the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities. https://spacesecurityindex.org/2020/11/guidelines-for-the-long-term-sustainability-of-outer-sp ace-activities/ (retrieved 27.10.2021).

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs: About Us.

https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/aboutus/index.html (retrieved 27.10.2021).

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs: Report of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space Sixty-second session (12-21 June 2019). General Assembly Official Records. Seventy-fourth Session Supplement No. 20. (n.d.).

https://www.unoosa.org/res/oosadoc/data/documents/2019/a/a7420_0_html/V1906077.pdf (retrieved 27.10.