Security & Strategy
Reimagining US Grand Strategy Program
Testing Assumptions in US Foreign Policy

A New Era in Space

Global Governance for a Contested Domain

As space grows more competitive and congested, there is an urgent need for global space governance

Outer space was once the preserve of the great powers, but today it is increasingly accessed by a range of state and non-state actors. The decreasing costs for launch and space hardware have lowered the barriers to entry, democratizing access to orbital space. The space economy is booming, with some estimates projecting it to reach a trillion dollars by 2040. At the same time, intensifying great power competition raises other dangers in space. The international community has only just begun to grapple with the implications of these developments for national security, the global economy, and global governance. This essay series and the conference address the implications of the democratization of space, focusing on both the promises and perils of this new space age.

Research & Writing

Commentary
Who Woke the Sleeping Giant? Africa’s Emerging Space Programs Take Off
Africa’s growing space ambitions and untapped potential mark an unprecedented opportunity to see what space can achieve for the common good
Ruvimbo Samanga
Commentary
Will the United States Establish a New Order in Outer Space?
The United States cannot remain a monolith if it wants countries to follow its norms, principles, and rules in a new age of space competition
Deganit Paikowsky
Commentary
A Japanese Perspective on the Democratization of Space
Japan’s commercial and national space programs will be facing challenges around governance and the democratization of space on the horizon
Yasuhito Fukushima
Commentary
The Middle East Enters the Space Race
Seeking to address the safety and security of space activities, Middle Eastern countries have begun to rapidly develop their space capabilities
Beatrice Hainaut
Commentary
Indian Space Policy and the New Lunar Space Race
As countries vie for control over lunar space, India must adapt its policy and continue to lead among its international competitors
Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan
Commentary
The Booming “Wild West” Space Economy Faces a Rules Deficit
A cooperative international approach is needed to manage the many new commercial players operating in space
Robert A. Manning
Commentary
A European Perspective on Space in an Era of Strategic Competition and Transformation
Compounding challenges around space strategy and governance require European states to adapt their current approaches to space policy
Guilhem Penent
Commentary
A Window of Opportunity for Space Security?
An international treaty banning destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) missile tests is possible with the right support
Victoria Samson • Brian Weeden
Commentary
The Multi-Aligned in Orbital Space
A unilateral approach to space governance cannot work in the current international system
Evan Cooper • Kelly A. Grieco

Events

  • Past
  • Event
A New Era in Space: Global Governance for a Contested Space Domain
  • November 7, 2023

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