Brian Weeden Participates in Panel Session on "The Future of Space" at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos

Saturday, January 26, 2013

SWF Technical Advisor Brian Weeden participated in a panel discussion on "The Future of Space" at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Brian was joined on the panel by Julien Anfruns, Director-General of the International Council of Museums, Ray Johnson, Senior Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer of Lockheed Martin Corporation, and Eric Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of Intentional Software Corporation, Executive Chairman of Space Adventures and Chairman of Planetary Resources. The panel was moderated by Mariette DiChristina, Editor-in-Chief of Scientific American magazine.

The discussion began by highlighting the many ways that satellite applications and space-based services provide daily benefits to the world and how they can be used to help meet some of the most pressing challenges facing the world, such as climate change, sustainable development, protecting cultural treasures and heritage, monitoring conflict and war crimes, and efficient management of natural resources. The conversation then shifted to the challenges facing the long-term sustainability of space activities, including orbital debris and congestion, spectrum management, conflict and irresponsible behavior, and space weather. The conclusions drawn from the discussion highlighted the need for better public-private partnerships between the private sector and governments, improved multistakeholder governance of space activities, and connecting the space community with other communities to help identify challenges where space can be part of the solution. A mind map of the discussion is below.