the$un$copuos$working$group$on$the$long7...

The UN COPUOS Working Group on the Long-‐Term Sustainability of Outer Space AcAviAes

Jean-‐Marc Chouinard Policy & Regulatory Affairs

Canadian Space Agency

Presenta(on to

Canadian Space Commerce Associa(on July 10th, 2012

Outline

–  EvoluAon of Space AcAviAes and Space Sustainability •  Space Security and Space Sustainability

–  UN COPUOS •  Overview of COPUOS and its main accomplishments

•  Space sustainability on COPUOS’ agenda

–  UN COPUOS WG on Long-‐Term Sustainability of Outer Space AcAviAes •  ObjecAves and Challenges •  Terms of Reference

•  Scope •  Timelines

–  Expert Groups scope and acAviAes –  Canadian interest

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The issue

•  Many new actors in space – Developing and developed countries; private; universiAes...

•  More than tradiAonal satellites: servicing; tourism; exploitaAon; cubesats

•  Increasingly easily accessible : – Overcrowding, interference, debris translate into “contested, competed, congested”

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EvoluAon of space acAviAes

DREAM DISCRETIONARY ESSENTIAL

SCIENCE and EXPLORATION

APPLICATIONS

COMMERCE LEISURE

In the past 50 years, space has underpinned global peace and prosperity.

Global Utilities

Beneficiaries: States Beneficiaries: Citizens Actors: Few, States Actors: Many, States & Non-States Engagement: Individualism

Sustainable Development

Engagement: Mutualism

Our generation must act now to preserve the space environment for future generations. 4

Space Security & Space Sustainability

•  Security is about being free of danger or threat

•  Space security is about preserving preserving order, predictability and safety in space and avoiding courses of acAon that would ulAmately undermine freedom of acAon in outer space, so that all may conAnue to use outer space for their purposes.

•  Sustainability is about being able to maintain an acAvity at a certain rate or level

•  Space Sustainability is about using outer space in such a way that all humanity will be able to conAnue to use it in future for peaceful purposes and for societal benefit.

Perceived to be the concern of predominantly the space actors.

Perceived to be a concern for all beneficiaries of space activities, whether or not they are space actors..

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Space sustainability is about

•  Recognising that the Earth’s orbital space environment is a limited natural resource;

•  Acknowledging that space technology is a criAcal tool to support sustainable development;

•  Ensuring that all humanity can conAnue to use space for peaceful purposes and for socioeconomic benefit.

Perceived to be the concern of all beneficiaries of space activities, whether or not they are space actors.

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UN COPUOS -‐ overview

•  UN COPUOS (Commi]ee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space) is the primary internaAonal forum for the development of legal and policy framework as well as principles governing peaceful acAviAes in outer space.

•  A standing commi]ee of the UN, founded in 1959 by 24 Member States. –  Currently 71 Member States and a large number of permanent observers

–  The technical work of COPUOS is carried out by two subcommi]ees

•  Legal Subcommi]ee (LSC)

•  ScienAfic and Technical Subcommi]ee (STSC)

–  Decisions are reached by absolute consensus –  Secretariat is the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (Vienna)

Does not discuss disarmament-related issues 7

What COPUOS has done for space

50 Years of acAviAes –  Five TreaAes on Outer Space

–  Legal Principles Governing AcAviAes of States, Remote Sensing, Nuclear Power Sources, Direct TV BroadcasAng and InternaAonal CooperaAon

–  Over 110 Gen Assy resoluAons & recommendaAons on outer space ma]ers –  Three UN Space Conferences (1968, 1982, 1999)

–  UN Programme on Space ApplicaAons

–  Regional Centres for Space Science & Technology EducaAon –  SPIDER (Disaster Management)

–  InternaAonal Commi]ee on GNSS

AcAviAes relaAng to space security/sustainability •  UN COPUOS Space Debris MiAgaAon Guidelines

•  UN COPUOS/IAEA Safety Framework for Nuclear Power Source ApplicaAons in Outer Space.

•  WG on Long-‐Term Sustainability of Outer Space AcAviAes of the STSC

In recent years, tendency to non-binding decisions, rather than treaties. (Non-binding does not mean non-legal)

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Sustainability of space acAviAes on the COPUOS agenda

•  2005 – Karl Doetsch (Chair STSC 2000-‐2003) paper on future role of COPUOS

•  2006 – Gérard Brachet highlighted this topic as Chairman of COPUOS •  2006 – 2007 Informal consultaAons, led by France •  2008 – 2009 Informal WG under leadership of G. Brachet (France)

developed a comprehensive background paper on this issue for COPUOS •  2009 – COPUOS agreed to establish a WG under the STSC •  2010 – Feb, STSC established a WG on the Long-‐Term Sustainability of

Outer Space AcAviAes. •  2011 – June, Agreement reached on Terms of Reference of the WG

Expert Groups consAtuted •  2012 – Feb, Working Group and Expert Groups met for the first Ame •  2012 – June, Expert Groups met on margin of COPUOS meeAng

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ObjecAve & Challenges WG ON LONG-‐TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF SPACE ACTIVITIES

OBJECTIVE •  The objecAve of the Working Group will be to examine and propose measures to

ensure the safe and sustainable use of outer space for peaceful purposes, for the benefit of all countries.

CHALLENGES •  A variety of views of what consAtutes “sustainability”.

•  Different understandings of some key terms (e.g. “SSA”, “space-‐faring”, “safety”, “remediaAon”…)

•  Established space actors concerned that any resoluAons should not limit their freedom to act in space.

•  Emerging space naAons concerned that any GA resoluAons or guidelines should not impose unacceptable barriers to new entrants in the space arena.

•  There are legal and economic implicaAons that must be addressed.

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Terms of Reference WG ON LONG-‐TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF SPACE ACTIVITIES

•  The Working Group will examine the long-‐term sustainability of outer space acAviAes in the wider context of sustainable development on Earth, including the contribuAon to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, taking into account the concerns and interests of all countries, in parAcular those of developing countries.

•  The work will take into consideraAon current pracAces, operaAng procedures, technical standards and policies associated with the long-‐term sustainability of outer space acAviAes, including, inter alia, the safe conduct of space acAviAes throughout all the phases of the mission life cycle.

•  The Working Group will take as its legal framework the exisAng United NaAons treaAes and principles governing the acAviAes of States in the exploraAon and use of outer space.

Full Terms of Reference in UN General Assembly document A/66/20

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•  Prepare a report on the long-‐term sustainability of outer space acAviAes containing a consolidated set of current best pracAces and operaAng procedures, technical standards and policies associated with the safe conduct of space operaAons.

•  Produce a set of voluntary recommended guidelines that could be applied by internaAonal organizaAons, non-‐governmental enAAes, individual States and States acAng jointly –  to reduce collecAvely the risk to space operaAons for all spacefaring actors and –  to ensure that all countries are able to have equitable access to the limited

natural resources of outer space.

•  RecommendaAons will be non-‐binding –  Non-‐binding does not mean non-‐legal –  TranslaAon into naAonal law, licensing pracAces

Outcomes WG ON LONG-‐TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF SPACE ACTIVITIES

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Guidelines WG ON LONG-‐TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF SPACE ACTIVITIES

The guidelines should: –  Create a framework for enhancing the long-‐term sustainability of space

acAviAes, including

•  Improvement of the safety of space operaAons

•  ProtecAon of the space environment

–  Be voluntary and not legally binding –  Be consistent with exisAng internaAonal legal frameworks for space acAviAes

–  Take into account the needs and interests of developing countries

•  Consider acceptable and reasonable financial and other connotaAons –  Be consistent with relevant recommendaAons of COPUOS and its

Subcommi]ees, other UN bodies and other relevant internaAonal organizaAons.

NON-‐BINDING DOES NOT MEAN NON-‐LEGAL 13

OrganisaAon of work WG ON LONG-‐TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF SPACE ACTIVITIES

•  Four Expert Groups established

•  Expert Groups meet on margins of COPUOS STSC and main commi]ee meeAngs and at other agreed Ames (e.g. IAC).

•  Membership of Expert Groups comprises experts nominated by

–  Member States

–  Inter-‐governmental organisaAons with observer status with COPUOS

•  Inputs received from

–  InternaAonal organisaAons (e.g. IAA, IADC, CCSDS, etc) –  Non-‐governmental organisaAons

•  Final decisions to be made by member states on a consensus basis

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Interfaces and related iniAaAves

•  ITU

•  Other UN enAAes •  Non-‐State Actors

–  Commercial actors

–  NaAonal and InternaAonal NGOs •  The CD

•  Government Group of Experts on Transparency and Confidence Building Measures

•  EU Code of Conduct on space acAviAes

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Topics for Discussion: 1/4 WG ON LONG-‐TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF SPACE ACTIVITIES

–  The contribuAon of space science and technology to sustainable development on Earth;

–  The concept of sustainable development extended to the domain of outer space;

–  Equitable access to the limited resources of outer space benefits of space acAviAes.

–  InternaAonal cooperaAon in peaceful uses of outer space as a means of enhancing space sustainability and supporAng sustainable development on Earth.

Expert Group A: Sustainable space u(liza(on suppor(ng sustainable development on Earth CO-‐CHAIRS: FILIPE DUARTE SANTOS (PORTUGAL) – ENRIQUE PACHECO CABRERA (MEXICO)

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Space debris: –  Measures to reduce the creaAon and proliferaAon of space debris;

–  CollecAon, sharing and disseminaAon of data on space objects;

–  Re-‐entry noAficaAons regarding substanAal space objects;

–  Technical developments and possibiliAes regarding space debris removal;

Space operaAons: –  Collision avoidance processes and procedures;

–  Pre-‐launch and pre-‐manoeuvre noAficaAons;

–  Common standards, best pracAces and guidelines;

Tools to support collaboraAve space situaAonal awareness: –  Registries of operators and contact informaAon;

–  Data centres for the storage and exchange of informaAon on space objects and operaAonal informaAon;

–  InformaAon-‐sharing procedures;


Expert Group B: Space Debris, Space Opera(ons and Tools to Support Collabora(ve Space Situa(onal Awareness CO-‐CHAIRS: RICHARD BUENNEKE (USA), CLAUDIO PORTELLI (ITALY)

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•  CollecAon, sharing and disseminaAon of data and forecasts;

•  CapabiliAes to provide a comprehensive and sustainable network of sources of key data in order to observe and measure phenomena related to space weather in real or near-‐real Ame;

•  Open sharing of established pracAces and guidelines to miAgate the impact of space weather phenomena on operaAonal space systems;

•  CoordinaAon among States on ground-‐based and space-‐based space weather observaAons in order to safeguard space acAviAes;

Expert Group C: Space Weather COCHAIRS: TAKAHIRO OBARA (JAPAN) – IAN MANN (CANADA)


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Regulatory regimes: •  Adherence to exisAng treaAes and principles on the peaceful uses of outer space; •  Review of the regulatory framework and the tools for the use and transfer of space

technologies within internaAonal cooperaAon and internaAonal turnover of controlled space-‐related goods;

•  NaAonal regulatory frameworks for space acAviAes;

Guidance for actors in the space arena: –  Technical standards, best pracAces and lessons learned for the successful

development and operaAon of space systems, from the pre-‐launch phase to the end-‐of-‐life phase;

–  Technical and legal capacity-‐building for developing countries.


Expert Group D: Regulatory Regimes and Guidance for Actors In the Space Arena CO-‐CHAIRS: SERGIO MARCHISIO (ITALY), ANTHONY WICHT (AUSTRALIA)

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Status of Work WG ON LONG-‐TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF SPACE ACTIVITIES

WG: Second workshop on long-‐term sustainability in February 2013 open to industry (through member states delegaAons), IGO and NGOs for input

•  EG A: Working paper by Fall 2012; consolidaAon of all inputs including industry by Feb 2013; for consideraAon of STSC in 2014

•  EG B: ConAnue informaAon review in 2012; develop draq report on best pracAces, consult on cross-‐curng issues, obtain input from industry and finalize draq report in 2013

•  EG C: Begin consolidaAon of input from states and draqing guidelines in 2012; consider addiAonal inputs from states, industry and refine report draqing in 2013

•  EG D: conAnue receiving inputs and prioriAze issues in 2012; review addiAonal input from industry in 2013 and agree on report in February

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Timelines WG ON LONG-‐TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF SPACE ACTIVITIES

•  2012 WG and Expert Groups commence work and refine list of topics to discuss, idenAfy overlaps and gaps, iniAate discussions on best pracAces and guidelines

•  2013 Draq of Report and Guidelines prepared •  2014 Report and Guidelines finalised

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Where does Canada stand?

•  Consultant study completed in 2012 –  Expressed high interest for communicaAons, sovereignty, environment, resources,

security; medium interest for educaAon, quality of life, transportaAon, foreign relaAons, water, food, regional development, economic well-‐being, health...

–  Recommended best pracAces on spacecraq eol; launch; operaAons, space objects cataloguing and tracking, SSA, debris removal, regulaAon and control of orbits

•  Experts designated on each EG •  Canadian co-‐chair on EG C – Space Weather

•  Canadian stakeholders outside government to be consulted this Fall and offered opportunity to contribute/parAcipate in Feb 2013

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Approach for interested parAes

•  CSA to conAnue informing industry and academia

•  Organize network around Canadian experts •  Workshop in Fall 2012:

– Examine subject under review

– Assess Canadian impact and interest – Define posiAons and prioriAes – Arrange for parAcipaAon in February 2013

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