Secure World Foundation Newsletter

February 2018

Insight - High Level Forum Lookback/Lookforward/Space 2030

By Michael Simpson, Executive Director

Sometimes our Insight columns focus on recent developments in the space policy arena of which we think you will want to be aware. Other times we try to take you out a bit over the political horizon to look at future events likely to have important impact. We always try to give an insight into Secure World Foundation’s work on those developments whether we were at their center or closer to the periphery. This time we combine these patterns and turn to a future development, just over the horizon, for which the Foundation has been closely involved in the planning for many years.

On June 18, the United Nations will convene UNISPACE+50 in Vienna, Austria. It will be only the fourth time that the UN has convoked a global conference on space policy in its history. Looking back on the previous three UNISPACE Conferences, we can expect this latest version, coming 50 years after the first, to establish the substantive agenda that will drive multilateral discussion, deliberation, and debate on space policy at least until the year 2030...continue reading.

Events

Jan 22, 2018
Insurance and Responsible Behavior in Space
Secure World Foundation partnered with the Stimson Center to host a preliminary discussion with space insurers, brokers, and satellite operators concerning the role of insurance in space operations. The central question of the event was if insurers can incentivize better behavior through premium pricing. The participants engaged throughout the day and featured speakers from the nuclear, maritime, and cyber fields as well. A not-for-attribution report will be available soon.

Jan 23, 2018
Space and Cyber Seminar
Project Manager Ian Christensen collaborated with Sherman & Howard, and the Space Foundation to put on a seminar and tabletop exercise focused on the interplay between satellite systems and cyber security. After opening speeches by military and legal experts, the tabletop exercise asked participants to consider the spoofing of GPS signals from multiple organizational and individual perspectives.

Staff Activities and Presentations

Jan 15, 2018
SWF Contributes to AIAA Discussion of Policy Support for Space Commercialization
Executive Director Michael Simpson and Project Manager Ian Christensen participated in the Space Commercialization Executive Summit at the 2018 AIAA SciTech Conferences in Kissimmee, Florida.

Jan 15, 2018
SWF Contributes to Discussion on Deterring Future Conflict in Space
Director of Program Planning Brian Weeden discussed counterspace technologies in development around the world on a panel at the 2nd Annual Symposium on Space and Deterrence at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Jan 16, 2018
SWF Outlines Possible Futures of Space Situational Awareness at the 4th Annual Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Space Traffic Management Conference
Washington Office Director Victoria Samson presented the results from the Sept. 2017 AMOS Dialogue at the 4th Annual Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Space Traffic Management Conference.

Jan 17, 2018
Space Sustainability Topics Introduced at CABSAT 2018 in Dubai
Mr. Christensen was a keynote speaker and panelist at two conferences held as part of the annual CABSAT trade show in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 

Jan 18, 2018
SWF Contributes to Discussion on Improving the Resilience of Civil Space Architectures
Dr. Weeden joined other experts at a conference organized by CSIS to discuss the future of civil space programs in cislunar space. Dr. Weeden spoke on a panel concerned with threats and vulnerabilities to proposed space systems.

Feb 5, 2018
SWF Actively Participates in the Group on Earth Observation Programme Board
Project Manager Krystal Wilson represented SWF in this first GEO Programme Board meeting of 2018. The board discussed plans for the rest of 2018 such as engagement priorities and strengthening of the GEO membership base.

Experts in the Media

Jan 2, 2018
Sorry sci-fi fans, real wars in space not the stuff of Hollywood
Director of Program Planning Brian Weeden quoted in SpaceNews on the technical realities of conflict in outer space.

Jan 18, 2018
The Pentagon no longer has a leader on space programs. What does that mean?
Dr. Weeden quoted by DefenseNews on the future of US National Security Space leadership.

Jan 19, 2018
Satellite traffic management efforts stalled by government, industry lack of transparency
Washington Office Director Victoria Samson quoted in the Space Intel Report on challenges to space traffic management.

Jan 21, 2018
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Hosts Fourth Annual Space Traffic Management Conference
Ms. Samson's panel on international cooperation at the ERAU STM Conference was highlighted in The Avion Student Newspaper.

Jan 22, 2018
Outer space laws and legislation: regulating the province of all mankind
Space Law Advisor Chris Johnson interviewed in Engineering & Technology Magazine on legal issues surrounding small satellites.

Jan 22, 2018
The Outer Space Treaty: 50 Years Later
Mr. Johnson Quoted in IEEE Canadian Review concerning the Outer Space Treaty after 50 years.

Jan 24, 2018
Beijing Boldly Goes into Anti-Satellite Weapons Frontier
Dr. Weeden Quoted in The Cipher Brief on Chinese ASAT capabilities and doctrine.

Publications

Jan 19, 2018
Supporting Earth Observation Policy and Coordination, by Krystal Wilson
The annual Group on Earth Observation Plenary and side events were held in Washington, DC in October 2017. Project Manager Krystal Wilson recaps the event and describes the current work programs seeking to connect data providers with users all across the globe.

Jan 25, 2018
The Outer Space Treaty, in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Planetary Science, by Christopher Johnson
SWF Space Law Advisor Chris Johnson covers the history, development, and consequences of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.
 

Announcements

Jan 3, 2018
SWF Welcomes Tiffany Chow
SWF is pleased to announce that Ms. Tiffany Chow rejoined our staff as Director of Strategic Partnerships last month. Some of you may remember Ms. Chow from her time in SWF's DC office where she worked on a number of security, SSA, governance, and Earth observation projects. After spending a number of years developing partnerships and business for the PBS television series and educational non-profit Roadtrip Nation in Southern California, Ms. Chow is thrilled to build out a dedicated strategic partnerships effort for SWF. 

Please join us in welcoming her to the Secure World Foundation!

Feb 5, 2018
Ray Williamson Future Fund 2018 Award Winner
We would like to congratulate the recipient of the Ray Williamson Future Fund Award, Isidora Casas Del Valle. SWF is pleased to honor Ms. Casas Del Valle by providing this scholarship to attend the International Space University Southern Hemisphere Space Studies Program 2018 (ISU SH-SSP) in Adelaide, Australia.

Ms. Casas Del Valle is a 25-year-old law graduate from Universidad de los Andes, Santiago de Chile. With a keen interest in Air & Space, and after having attended both the International Astronautical Congress (ICA) and the Southern Hemisphere Space Studies Program (SH-SSP), she is now looking to start her LLM in Space Law this coming year. Isidora is a strong believer in culturally and educationally diverse workgroups to achieve optimum team synergies. Isidora speaks Spanish, English, and a bit of Dutch & French, and loves to interact and work with people from all over the world.