Human civilization has never been more dependent on outer space for daily life—from the internet and global positioning system to military command and control to automatic teller machines (ATMs) and television; yet, at the same time, human activities dependent on space have never been more at risk. There is a dangerous deficit of governance with regard to human activities in outer space. Technology has leapt ahead of global rules, standards, and norms. Private-sector activity is superseding governments. The United States and other space powers seem to be creating their own facts and rules, a recipe for conflict. And great-power competition, particularly that of the United States, China, and Russia, suggests a prevailing mindset among major powers that prefer a race for dominance in all space sectors over cooperation to manage mutual risks. Many of the greatest risks with respect to space activities are ones of mutual vulnerability among the major advanced space powers (the United States, China, Russia, European Union (EU), India, and Japan). Most urgent is mitigating space debris, but equally important, if not more so, is developing shared norms and rules governing activities in space. Managing these risks, beginning with fostering cooperation on space debris, could present an opportunity to compartmentalize strategic competition and update governance to minimize the risk of dangerous conflict disrupting peaceful activities, both those in space and dependent on space.
Read the full paper at the Atlantic Council.
