Global Agenda Council on Space Security 2013
Issue Overview |
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Societies rely on the creation and transmission of information and space-based platforms can collect and broadcast large amounts of information, almost instantly, worldwide. They are a critical and irreplaceable part of communication, imaging, positioning and navigation services. Satellites gather a wide range of data on our planet and its components over long periods of time, providing comparisons and construction models of complex issues like climate change. They also allow the global community to address challenges in resource management, access to energy resources, food security, and disaster prediction and management.
Moreover, space capabilities can help build confidence between states and contribute to international peace and security. Observations from space can uncover acts of genocide involving civilian populations.
Space assets are indispensable to the functioning of national and global economies and societies, making their continuous development a necessity to avoid disruption or decline. A typical example is the reliance of societies on the global positioning system (GPS) network of satellites. Beyond guiding cars, aircraft and ships, the GPS timing signal synchronizes digitized transmissions within and between networks, including power grids, financial and trade transactions, transport and manufacturing. Satellites also provide critical links and services to remote communities in areas where ground-based infrastructure is impractical. Even temporary outages may cause substantial problems for such communities.
In the long term, space can help solve many global challenges faced by society and the planet, such as shortages of energy, water and resources. Space-based services monitor natural resources like fresh water and crops, and enable their more efficient management. In the energy sector, space can be a source of technological innovation for energy creation and storage, helping maximize the output of renewable energy sources by providing information on the most efficient location and deployment of wind and solar installations.
- Currently 1,016 operating satellites orbit the earth; 443 of them are from the United States.
- 59% of satellite use is for communication, 8% for navigation and 7% for military surveillance.
- Approximately 21,000 pieces of debris larger than 10 centimetres, and 500,000 pieces down to about 1 centimetre, that could significantly damage or destroy a satellite, are orbiting at speeds of up to 25,000 kilometres/hour.
“Despite early recognition of the problem, these efforts to regulate space debris as an environmental pollutant have not gained significant traction and are currently absent from any of the serious national or international policy discussions. At the core of this failure are two root causes: the true nature of the most commonly used regions of outer space and the lack of private actors using these regions that would be responsive to market incentives.”
Brian Weeden, Technical Adviser, Secure World Foundation
“Satellites bring a universal solution to allow for the equality of territories by fighting the digital divide and the dictatorship of distance. We should not forget that a great proportion of the population does not have access to high-speed connectivity.”
Michel de Rosen, Chief Executive Officer, Eutelsat
“Over the 40 years of the space era, space has already transformed daily life, thanks to the quality and efficiency of such space-based services as telecommunications, broadcasting, weather forecasting and navigation. Space has also enabled quantum leaps to be made in our knowledge of our planet and of the universe, fulfilling scientists’ wildest aspirations. Indeed, space data have modified our view of Earth and have led to a new understanding of our planet and the complex interactions of its oceans; space market requires forward-looking policies and investments that go beyond short-term commercial concerns.”
Geraldine Naja, Head, Strategic Studies, European Space Agency (ESA)
National Regulation of Space Activities (Space Regulations Library), Ram S. Jakhu
"International Safeguards and Satellite Imagery", B. Jasani, I. Niemeyer, S. Nussbaum, B. Richter and G. Stein
"Globalization to Kokumin Kokka (Globalization and Nation States)", Kazuto Suzuki with Fukuji Taguchi
Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Satellite Communications and the Cloud
22 November 2012
London, United Kingdom
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Technology Days
28-30 November 2012
Cleveland, OH, USA
51st American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Aerospace Sciences Meeting Including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition
7-10 January 2013
Dallas-Fort Worth Region, TX, USA
International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2013
23-27 September 2013
Beijing, People’s Republic of China
During the 2012-14 term, the Global Agenda Council on Space Security will focus its work on better defining the contribution of space industries and technologies to the global economy, and the improvement of the state of the world through the promotion of resilient dynamism. The Council will partner with experts and institutions from within the Network of Global Agenda Councils to advance projects that:
- Promote work that quantifies the contribution of space to the global economy
- Demonstrate the power and potential of space-based capabilities and satellite applications, to address the most pressing environmental and societal challenges of humanity
- Develop complementary efforts to existing space sustainability initiatives
Research Analyst: Rigas Hadzilacos, Global Agenda Councils, rigas.hadzilacos@weforum.org
Council Manager: David Gleicher, Manager, Qualitative Research, Risk Response Network, david.gleicher@weforum.org
Forum Lead: Martina Gmür, Senior Director, Head of the Network of Global Agenda Councils, martina.gmur@weforum.org
