Steven Freeland on the Governance of Space Resource Activities

Podcast Episode

Steven Freeland on the Governance of Space Resource Activities

By Tejas Bharadwaj and Steven Freeland

Published on Apr 11, 2024

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Interpreting India, Steven Freeland, vice-chair of the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities, joins Tejas Bharadwaj to discuss space resource activities and governance.

What are some ongoing initiatives that aim to govern space resource activities? What challenges and opportunities do they present? And how can active spacefaring countries like India contribute to these initiatives?

EPISODE NOTES

In the realm of space exploration, there's a growing focus on extracting resources from celestial bodies like the Moon and asteroids. This calls for a strong governance framework to ensure responsible and sustainable practices. International laws such as the Outer Space Treaty and the Moon Agreement provide the foundation, while initiatives like the Artemis Accords support commercial ventures. The UN's COPUOS Working Group is dedicated to addressing the legal and technical aspects of space resource activities, aiming to develop guidelines for their responsible use. Multilateralism is crucial for consensus among nations, with countries like China, Russia, and India actively participating. India, as a respected spacefaring nation, has a pivotal role to play, leveraging its expertise to shape global discussions on space resource governance.

However, it is important to ensure that such activities are carried out per obligations under international law. For example, Article II of the Outer Space Treaty prohibits the appropriation of outer space including celestial bodies. There are also concerns that if space resource activities are not governed properly, conflicts may arise in outer space and back on Earth. To facilitate an inclusive and multi-stakeholder dialogue on this issue, the UN COPUOS established the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities.

How will this multilateral initiative function? What promises does this initiative hold in shaping the norms and future of space resource activities? And what is India’s possible role in this initiative?

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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