Space Policy最新文献

The Space Transportation System Committee of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has been continuously formulating medium-to long-term strategies in the field of space transportation systems under the Inter-University Research Institute System of ISAS since FY2018. This committee is considering the role of ISAS in cooperation with the organization-wide activities of JAXA to formulate strategies in the field of space transportation systems. Among its previous achievements, the committee assembled a strategic target and scenario for the space transportation system research field at the end of FY2018 and has been continuously revising it. Based on the formulated mission scenario, the committee identified three priority areas related to system technologies that must be tackled. These are a “reusable orbit transportation system” aimed for highly frequent mass transportation from Earth to low Earth orbits, “deep space interorbital transportation system” aimed for a marked improvement in space science and exploration missions in terms of frequency and flexibility, and “small flying test bed system” for flight demonstrations, which is indispensable in the research and development of space transportation systems. In this paper, the authors summarize the medium-to long-term strategies and their concrete implementation measures over the next two decades.

What explains the commercialization of key government space projects through the incorporation of New Space? The newer generation of private companies have seen a significant increase in government contracting as they become instrumental for national security missions and high-profile civil projects. The turn to New Space companies, particularly those entrepreneurially-driven and privately funded, deviates from the governments' historical reliance on more traditional private partners. We argue that the turn towards New Space was neither inevitable nor monocausal, but rather the product of the confluence of the upstart sector's cost-efficient service offerings and rising public profile, which coincided with a period of renewed international competition. New Space firms indeed distinguished themselves by offering affordable products, an innovative production process, and a unique brand of prestigious reputation otherwise unavailable at national programs and older aerospace companies. However, these services were only deemed necessary for integration with the public sector because of the heightened importance of security and national status amidst a perceived return to great power competition. A new generation of public-private partnerships offered the only strategy for spacefaring states to attain and maintain a competitive position in an environment where non-state actors can match government accomplishments and capabilities. However, the utility of current integrative policy threatens to globalize not only the strengths but also the weaknesses of New Space, undercutting the very goals their adoption was meant to achieve.

Within the next decade it is likely that the space tourism industry will grow and the number of humans travelling into space via commercial entities such as Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, will increase significantly. Current space tourism ventures focus on short duration sub-orbital flights and visits to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). In the next few decades, a journey into space could become as normal as a transatlantic flight. During these new commercial ventures, the effects of cosmic radiation exposure, especially during sudden changes in space weather, such as ground level enhancement (GLE) or solar particle events (SPEs), could have significant health implications for crew and passengers. Such changes in space weather could expose space tourists to radiation doses in excess of the recommended maximum 1 mSv yearly effective dose uptake for a member of the public and 20 mSv yearly effective dose limit for those working with radiation (ICRP Publication 103, 2007 [1]). Domestic legislation and regulation focussing on potential radiation exposure for space tourists is limited and largely untested; there is heavy focus on conventional risk and wider safety, with guidance stemming from regulation of commercial high-level flights, which are significantly different to space tourism enterprises.

In this paper we consider the current domestic legislation and regulations adopted by the USA and the UK, as two examples of launch nations with legislation and regulation relating to space tourism activities. We acknowledge and consider feedback we have received from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on current regulations and topics outlined in this paper. We discuss whether current legislation and regulation offers sufficient protection for space flight participants (space tourists), and whether risk is balanced appropriately between the operators who provide space tourism services and those taking part. Finally, we discuss the routes to acceptance of the radiation risks and make recommendations for legislators, regulators and operators to support them in ensuring that the risks are managed appropriately while also supporting the development of the industry.

Groups of nations with aligned strategic interests on Earth are joining forces to bolster their interests in space. In particular, within the last six years three new regional space agencies have been formed in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. These are the African Space Agency (AfSA), the Arab Space Coordination Group (ASCG), and the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE). In this study, a regional space agency is defined as an organisation with actor quality established between multiple national governments, underpinned by legal instruments, to promote cooperation across the full spectrum of space sector activities, with participation from most countries within an extended geographical area. This paper provides the first comprehensive review and comparison of the AfSA, ASCG, and ALCE, at a time when all three agencies are still in their infancy and being operationalised. Their history, current status, and future prospects are charted, drawing upon diverse media including in local languages. The European Space Agency (ESA), the oldest regional space agency, is included as a reference point. The study is expected to be useful for local policymakers as well as those in other regions considering the creation of a regional space agency, such as Southeast Asia.

The purpose of this work is assessing the impact of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) on the performance of the Italian space stakeholders through three specific policies, i.e. public procurement, public investment in Earth observation, and collaboration with the scientific community. This article explores multiple surveys targeting upstream and downstream companies, universities, and research centres in the space economy to estimates the cost-benefit ratio. We find that the socio-economic benefit of ASI policies is positive and, when considering upstream companies and downstream intermediate users in the field of Earth observation (EO), the impact is particularly high in the EO sector. The surveys show evidence of a positive effect of public procurement and EO data on the Italian space economy, both in terms of innovation and economic performance. Finally, we observe a significant impact of ASI also on the scientific community.

Space borne systems, such as communication satellites, sensory, surveillance, GPS and a multitude of other functionalities, form an integral part of global ICT cyber infrastructures. However, a focused discourse highlighting the distinctive threats landscape of these space borne assets is conspicuous by its absence. This article specifically considers the interplay of Space and Cyberspace to highlight security challenges that warrant dedicated attention in securing these complex infrastructures. This article additionally adds summary opinions on (a) emerging technology trends and (b) advocacy on technological and policy issues needed to support security responsiveness and mitigation.