Virtual Round Table, the June 12 2024
Before COPUOS 67th General Assembly
the panel | organization | requirements to participants | abstracts | registration
Panel
The United Nations Committee for the Peaceful Use of Outer Space (COPOUOS) in 2024 focuses on space resources. In the context of the incoming cislunar economy, the focus is the legal, scientific, and technical aspects of lunar and asteroid resources mining, extraction, property, industrial and intellectual properties. The current geopolitical conjuncture and the dawn of astropolitics influence competing Moon initiatives. SRI and NSS, representing nearly 100 organizations, lead this event supporting the proposed 18th SDG, focused on civilian-led space development, to be added to the U.N. 2030 Agenda. A Space 18th SDG working group should be created in COPUOS, to serve as a clearinghouse to identify and systematize best practices and harmonize the work of state parties and NGOs.
Space 18th SDG 2024 Agenda
A dedicated track will be held at the NSS ISDC, on the 24th of May, in Los Angeles.
The June 12 2024 virtual panel will be the first of three public 2024 events, followed by a hybrid panel on September 13 2024 at U.N. Plaza, NYC. The Space 18th SDG Coalition also plans to establish a pavillion at the International Astronautical Congress in Milano, 14-18 October.
Organization
Panel format is a high-interactive round-table. Each panelist will present 1 slide with their organization’s main points related to panel topic. Panel last 1 hour, including introduction, questions to the panelists, followed by an open conversation among the panelists and attendees. A summary of the discussion will conclude the session, and provide useful suggestions to support our COPUOS delegation..
Requirements for Participants
Participants register in advance for their desired session(s) and provide their organizational slide, as well as profile photo and bio.
Abstracts
Panel #01 – Use of Space Resources
- Using space resources to primarily develop in outer space or on Earth? The risk of a new space-based colonialism.
- Property of in-place and removed space resources, property of small asteroids.
- Contended lunar regions.
- Lunar and asteroid materials for the Earth market (e.g., Helium 3).
- ARTEMIS and ILRS agreements: are these the optimal tools, in the new astropolitics arena?
- How to detect and systematize best practices.
- The role of U.N. COPUOS and the 18th SDG as a clearing house for private and public stakeholders’ involvement, with 100% inclusivity.
Panel #02 – Orbital Debris
- Methodology and technologies to avoid new orbital debris production.
- Remediation of the existing orbital debris, big wreckage and and small pieces, de-orbiting, and moving to orbital storehouses.
- Orbital debris salvage entities (Space governance).
- Space industrialization: Orbital debris reuse for space infrastructure building.
- Cleaning orbits as a commercial enterprise.
- Anti-satellite weapons tests – relevant source of orbital debris. Should U.N. push for complete ban?
Panel #03 – Space Law and Private Entities in Outer Space
- Which updates to the Outer Space Treaty are needed? Or do we need new space treaties and laws?
- Which international treaties can be used as useful design inputs?
- Safeguarding investors’ interests, intellectual property, and industrial property rights.
- Should space law be changed to help minor competitors join the space program and enter the new space market?
- Space4Peace. How can space law uphold global security; what are the potentials for Outer Space Treaty extension, addressing disarmament, global monitoring, and the elimination of a cyberspace threat.
Panel #04 – Sustainable Benefits 4 All Peoples of Earth
- The role of “downstream” space technologies – e.g., GPS, Earth Observation, disaster avoidance, telecommunications – in helping all human activities on Earth, especially populations having agriculture and rural activities as their main economy.
- The role of “upstream” space development – e.g., the cislunar economy, lunar and asteroid mining, space migration and space industrial development, producing fuel and energy in outer space, small ecosystems in closed environments, the circular economy, 100% recycling, waste management, oxygen and water cycles, space farming, and food cultivation– in advancing the development and social growth of all the people on Earth, including those living in the non-space-faring and space-emerging countries.
- Space development to provide an industrial value chain to the “post-industrial” countries, contributing to confronting the lack of jobs.
- Permanent space revolution: the space-emerging countries don’t need to go through the long, slow road traveled by the spacefaring countries.
The people of non-space-faring countries deserve the same opportunities as those who are far ahead. - Space4Peace. How can space development help establish peace on Earth? Making “resource wars obsolete.” The Overview Effect as a powerful icon of a new human community. No borders or boundaries can be seen on Earth from orbit or the Moon.
Panel #05 – Sustainable Space Development and Space for Sustainability
- Civilian-led space development as the key factor of human development’s sustainability.
- Environmental and financial sustainability of space development – rockets’ pollution, a less dark sky – when compared to other voices of the environmental and financial balance, such as military expenditure and the looming global war.
- Responsible waste management in orbit, on the Moon, and beyond. Space: the kindergarten of the circular economy. Lessons learned by the communities working in outer space will be applicable on Earth as well.
- Considering the different and culturally opposite goals of space development (humanity’s progress and evolution) vs. military confrontation (death and degradation, possible acceleration of a civilization’s collapse).
- The relevance of industrial development for the progress of human culture, social growth, freedom, and democracy.
- The key role of civilian space development to catalyze an unprecedented industrial renaissance.
[English language editing: Frank White, Robert Katz]
