Secure World Foundation Newsletter

October 2019

Insight - Spectrum Interference: 5G and Meteorological Observations

By Krystal Wilson, Director of Space Applications Programs and Josh Wolny, Project Manager

In the race to establish the 5G telecommunications network for enhanced cellular phone bandwidth, increasingly accurate weather forecasts may be a casualty. An on-going negotiation over radio frequency spectrum allocation, among different entities of the U.S. government and the wireless industry, continues to evolve as time runs out before the 2019 World Radiocommunications Conference which is being held October 28 - November 22, 2019, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. On October 1, 2019, at the Joint Satellite Conference in Boston, Secure World Foundation (SWF) hosted a panel discussion on this topic.

Spectrum is used all across the globe for the transmission of information and observation of phenomena. Television, microwave ovens, cellular communications, and WiFi join other non-domestic, non-commercial uses like military communications, deep-space observations, and even sensing of water vapor or temperature in the atmosphere from orbiting satellites. All of these various benefits derived from the use of the finite radio spectrum must be coordinated to avoid interference. Similar to chatting with a friend in a crowded public place, radio signals can be drowned out among other local noise.

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Announcements

Sep 18, 2019
SWF Joins Global Space Safety Coalition
Secure World Foundation has joined the Space Safety Coalition, a first-of-its-kind global ad hoc coalition dedicated to developing and maintaining a set of “living” space safety best practices.  The new coalition comprises space operators, space industry associations and space industry stakeholders that want to lead by example, actively promoting responsible space safety through the voluntary adoption of relevant international standards, guidelines, and practices, and the development of more effective space safety guidelines and best practices.

Publications

Sep 3, 2019
The Curious Case of the Transgressing Tardigrades (part 2)
In this second installment, Space Law Advisor Chris Johnson and co-authors delve deeper into domestic U.S. regulation via the Federal Aviation Administration’s payload review process, and how it might have operated in the Beresheet mission.

Sep 3, 2019
Re-Establishing U.S. Space Command and a Possible U.S. Space Force Are Attempts to Solve Serious Issues
Director of Program Planning Brian Weeden has published a new op-ed at NBC Think on why the efforts of the Trump Administration to re-establish U.S. Space Command and create a new U.S. Space Force are attempts to solve serious space security issues. Dr. Weeden discusses the underlying threats that are driving increased concern about space security in the United States, the difference between U.S. Space Command and a Space Force, and how these efforts began during the Obama Administration. He also highlights the potential risks of establishing the wrong culture for these new initiatives or focusing too heavily on futuristic threats or developing new offensive capabilities. 

Sep 16, 2019
The Curious Case of the Transgressing Tardigrades (part 3)
In this final installment, Mr. Johnson and co-authors step back and reflect on the international implications of maverick private space actors on geopolitical discussions, consider some sociological and cultural perspectives on who explores space and why, and whether the spread of terrestrial life is intrinsically valuable.

Oct 5, 2019
Space Force vs Space Command: A Primer
Washington Office Director Victoria Samson writes on military space issues in the latest Observer Research Foundation Space Alert quarterly. With U.S. President Donald Trump’s call in June 2018 to create a United States Space Force, and the re-establishment in August 2019 of U.S. Space Command, non-space observers often either confuse the two or use the two names interchangeably.  They are in actuality two separate entities that have different missions and goals.

Events

Sep 5, 2019
Workshop on Exploring the Hidden Economic Value of Space Applications
The SDA Bocconi School of Management-SEE Lab, SWF, and the Space Policy Institute organized a half-day workshop that discussed the large but not well-measured contribution of space services to efficiency and productivity of end user applications, focusing on the transportation and agriculture sectors. 

Sep 19, 2019
2019 AMOS Dialogue
For the seventh year, SWF staff contributed to the annual Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference. SWF helped organize and actively participated in the Policy Forum, which was held at the beginning of each day of the conference, and featured discussions on the future of space traffic management, the space debris environment, norms and licensing of satellite constellations, and open-access data repositories for situational awareness.

Sep 26, 2019
Space Weather as a Global Challenge 2019
SWF partnered with the U.S. Department of State to organize an evening panel discussion following the Next Steps Space Weather Benchmarks Town Hall. The Discussion featured an overview of the benchmarking process, the national security implications of space weather resilience, Congressional legislative efforts related to space weather, and the European Union's space weather programs and partnership opportunities.

Oct 1, 2019
Is Spectrum Shifting the Playing Field for the Weather Enterprise?
SWF organized a luncheon panel in partnership with Narayan Strategy to probe the consequences of probable reallocation of spectrum later this year. Proposals to reallocate bands of spectrum for 5G telecommunications may cause interference with current allocations for meteorological observations. Panelists discussed the technical and political backgrounds of this issue, as well as possible solutions, and opportunities for the audience to get involved.

Oct 4, 2019
International Symposium on Maritime-Space Cooperation in Asia-Pacific Region
SWF supported a one-day symposium being co-organized by the Ocean Policy Research Institute, Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), and Space Policy Research Center, Japan Space Forum (JSF) to discuss international maritime cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. Speakers discussed the importance of maritime-faring  countries securing their activities and promoting safety in collaboration with other countries and the use of space assets.

Staff Activities and Presentations

Sep 10, 2019
Victoria Samson Spoke at Center for Strategic Foresight Launch Event
The U.S. Government Accountability Office formally launched its new Center for Strategic Foresight activities with a conference focused on critical issues confronting policymakers today. The inaugural conference brought together experts, including Ms. Samson, to explore two topics with a direct bearing on the future security and well-being of the United States: the management of space policy by government and the private sector, as well as the growing use worldwide of “deep fake” synthetic media to manipulate online and real-world interactions.

Sep 12, 2019
Ian Christensen Spoke at Department of Commerce Space Commerce Workshop
The Department of Commerce Boulder Laboratories, the Office of Space Commerce, and the University of Colorado Boulder held a one-day workshop to discuss key technology and measurement barriers to deploying and safely operating commercial space technology. Director of Private Sector Programs Ian Christensen participated in the workshop as a speaker on the panel on "Emerging Technologies for Space Commerce," focusing on SWF's experience in integrating technology, business, and policy perspectives in governance discussions.

Sep 16, 2019
Victoria Samson Spoke at the EMER-GEN Conference
The Space Generation Advisory Council, in association with the Maui Economic Development Board’s 2019 AMOS Conference, organized a joint event for young professionals working on issues related to space situational awareness. Ms. Samson spoke on the United Nations guidelines for the long-term sustainability of space and also served as a professional mentor at the event.

Sep 24, 2019
Chris Johnson Spoke at the UN/Turkey/APSCO Conference on Space Law and Policy
Space Law Advisor Chris Johnson participated in the latest in a series of UNOOSA-led space law conferences exploring the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, the legal regime for outer space, and promoting the responsible,peaceful, and safe uses of outer space.

Sep 25, 2019
Brian Weeden Discussed Role of Space in Maritime Security at U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Dr. Weeden participated in a panel discussion on the role of space in supporting maritime security and surveillance at an event hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The panel discussed the role space can play in improving communications and surveillance of the Arctic and maritime domain more generally and some of the legal, policy, and economic challenges that need to be resolved. 

Oct 4, 2019
Victoria Samson Spoke on Global Counterspace Capabilities Following the AGI Technology and User Seminar
Ms. Samson joined staff from Analytical Graphics Incorporated and other outside experts during their technology seminar in Tokyo, Japan. Ms. Samson spoke on potential counterspace capabilities around the world, highlighting new developments and the core takeaways from SWF’s 2019 Global Counterspace Capabilities report.

Oct 5, 2019
Chris Johnson Participated in MILAMOS Workshop VII
Mr. Johnson participated in the MILAMOS project, held in Montreal, Canada on September 30-October 5. Mr. Johnson is a Core Expert and Rule Drafter for various rules on the law applicable to military activities in outer space. This conference, entitled MILAMOS Workshop VIII: Rule-Drafting and Consensus-Forming workshop, focused on the laws applicable to peacetime and rising-tension pertaining to military activities in outer space. The MILAMOS project aims to conclude its work in 2019, with the publication of the MILAMOS manual thereafter.

Experts in the Media

Sep 4, 2019
SpaceX Satellite Near Miss Shows Need for Rules of the Road in Space
Dr. Brian Weeden was quoted by NewScientist on ESA-SpaceX near miss and implications for space safety.

Sep 5, 2019
Space Junk Podcast - "Planetary Protection Laws: Tardigrades on the Moon”
Mr. Johnson was featured in Space Junk Podcast "Planetary Protection Laws: Tardigrades on the Moon”

Sep 6, 2019
Satellite crashes will plague us unless we manage space traffic better
Dr. Weeden was quoted on the importance of Space Traffic Management in the MIT Technology Review.

Sep 10, 2019
Hundreds of satellites are watching from the skies. Should you be concerned?
Mr. Johnson was quoted in The Telegraph on satellite imaging capabilities.

Sep 16, 2019
SPACECOM To Write New Ops War Plan: 100km And Up
Dr. Weeden was quoted by BreakingDefense on US Space Command's relationship to other combatant commands.

Sep 16, 2019
SpaceX Missed Some Urgent Emails About a Satellite Standoff
Dr. Weeden was quoted by The Atlantic about improving our ability to avoid satellite collisions.

Sep 24, 2019
New Space Debris Rules Stalled By Year-Long Interagency Spat
Dr. Weeden was quoted by Breaking Defense on the need for stronger U.S. debris mitigation standards.

Sep 24, 2019
1 big thing: Space is the next surveillance frontier
Ms. Samson was quoted by Axios Space about the rise of commercial space in military space surveillance. 

Sep 24, 2019
The NSA Is Running a Satellite Hacking Experiment
Dr. Weeden was quoted by Nextgov on cyber security for satellites.

Sep 29, 2019
#SpaceWatchGL Column: On War, Debris, and Commerce in Space
SWF’s June 2019 Summit for Space Sustainability featured in SpaceWatch Global.