ROOM
37
Space Security
In the case of the Chinese action, while
much international reaction centred (quite
understandably) on the military consequences,
the additional pieces of space debris caused by
the destruction of the Fengyun FY-1C polar orbit
satellite at such a strategically important altitude
raised significant concerns.
These uncertainties coalesce with other risks
and all point to the need for an institutional
form of space traffic management because the
existing international legal regime does not
address such concerns in anything approaching a
comprehensive manner. Whilst spacefaring States
(and others) are aware of the heightened risk of
space warfare with its adverse consequences
for the already hazardous state of the space
environment, there has not been a corresponding
willingness to either take ‘ownership’ of the
problem or agree to strict, comprehensive and
binding international space rules.
It might be argued that the prevailing ‘soft
law’ and TCBM (‘transparency and confidence-
building measures’) approach to space regulation
may take on an increasing relevance by providing
appropriate international benchmarks, at least
for currently foreseen risks and uncertainties.
However, it is too easy for States not to abide by
the terms of voluntary non-binding instruments.
Not only is the issue of space debris a major
environmental concern, but it also clearly impacts
upon human safety. For example, on 12 March
2009, the astronauts on board the International
Space Station (ISS) were forced to evacuate the
main station and remain in the escape vehicle for
nine minutes, while a piece of debris passed by.
At around the same time, an operational
American commercial satellite (Iridium 33) and an
inactive Russian communications satellite (Kosmos
2251) collided approximately 790 km above the
Earth, resulting in their total destruction. The
collision resulted in approximately 700 additional
pieces of hazardous debris, each with the potential
to cause further decades-long pollution in space.
At a time when it is envisaged that, in the
relatively short term, many more humans
will have the opportunity to go into space
through the development of a commercial
space ‘tourism’ industry, these risks translate
They are not strange bedfellows after all because everything that
we do in space is interrelated with everything else
Computer graphic
depicting a future solar
power system in orbit
around Earth, beaming
energy to receiving
antennas on the ground.
As well as technology
hurdles, such systems
will also need to be
subject to specific space
governance issues.
JAXA
