As the sphere of human economic, scientific and cultural activities has expanded off the surface of the Earth, space has emerged as a new global common that borders all nations, a common that a growing number of nations rely upon, yet one that still only a relatively small number of countries can access directly. Each day, thousands of satellites orbit the Earth providing countless benefits to billions of people across the globe. Once the preserve of a few superpowers for military and scientific research, the use of space is now crucial to global development, commerce, economic prosperity, climate action, peace and security. Space systems are an essential component of critical infrastructure of a growing number of countries worldwide, supporting socioeconomic development, human and environmental security.
Alongside the rapid increase in our reliance on space systems, we are also witnessing rapid growth in the global space economy, manifested most clearly by the increasing number of satellites launched each year. The global space economy reached $596 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $944 billion by 2033. This rapid expansion is raising concerns about the impact of space activities on the Earth’s orbital environment and our ability to conduct these activities in a sustainable manner. Space systems are also vulnerable to a growing number of security threats, placing at risk the continuity of information and services critical for national safety and security applications.
Simply put, the space above our heads is becoming a dangerously congested and contested domain that requires cooperative management and protection, so that future generations will continue to have access to all the benefits of space science and technology that we enjoy today. The mounting challenges to space safety, sustainability and security are propelling us towards a tipping point where a catastrophic chain of events in orbit could render space unusable for decades to come. Avoiding this situation requires a coordinated global response that incorporates the best expertise available in governments, industry and academia.
Effective governance and shared responsibility are vital to protect this critical resource for the benefit of all humankind now and for future generations. The key issues that need to be addressed urgently are the need for space traffic coordination, the mitigation and removal of space debris, the governance of activities related to space resources, and the safety and security of space activities threatened by potential war in space or on Earth.
In 2024, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Pact for the Future, which sets out globally agreed commitments on a range of issues, such as peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, governance of digital and other emerging technologies, human rights, and the transformation of global governance. The Space Commons governance issues were articulated in Policy Brief 7 as an input to the Summit of the Future. Space governance is addressed in Action 56 of the Summit’s outcome document, the Pact for the Future, which notes the importance of international discussions on the establishment of new frameworks for space traffic, space debris, and space resources. Action 56 of the Pact also calls for greater engagement of relevant private sector, civil society, and other relevant stakeholders, to contribute to intergovernmental processes related to the increased safety and sustainability of outer space activities. The Pact for the Future also encourages member states to consult on holding a global space summit, UNISPACE IV, in 2027. This global summit will provide an opportunity for civil society engagement in space governance conversations envisaged in the Pact of the Future.
Apart from discussions in the UN, civil society organizations have much to contribute to the development of cooperative governance of space activities at a national and global level to ensure that space continues to be a domain of peaceful exploration and use, for the benefit of all nations. However, such organizations need to be adequately resourced to meet the challenges and this is where philanthropy has a huge role to play because stewardship and cooperative governance of space as a global common is still largely virgin territory for philanthropy. On Earth, we have a system of governance based on borders and national governments. Space offers a unique opportunity for philanthropy to utilize its convening power, funding and connections to examine what has not worked here on Earth and to proactively create new systems to better govern a global common that can provide many benefits to all.
Most people do not realize how critically reliant modern society is on space-derived information and services. The continuity of space-based services is largely taken for granted by the non-space sectors that rely on those services; however, such continuity is far from assured. Even a momentary disruption of these services could have massive (and not completely predictable) disruptive effects on society, business, the economy, safety of life, and national security.
In part, the challenges outlined above are exacerbated by the fact that space governance has not kept up with the rapid pace of developments in the global space arena. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 served as the original basis of international space law. The current legal framework for space activities stems from the early days of the Space Age, when the dominant actors in space were a few national governments and their national military and civilian agencies. Today, the situation is completely reversed; commercial operators own most of the satellites in space and they are expanding their activities and developing new capabilities at a rate that outpaces the capacity of regulation to keep up. Moreover, the existing international fora for space governance established in the early days of the Space Age, are still only open to governments; commercial actors do not have a seat at the table. This creates the potential for fragmented / divergent governance and regulation shopping that could lead to a tragedy-of-the-commons-type of situation in space. By the same token, companies should recognize that they cannot have a viable business plan in an unstable environment. As this new frontier of commercial activity expands, having clear “rules of the road” and norms of responsible behavior for all actors will be essential for a viable space economy.
Space governance and space environmental stewardship constitute a new frontier of philanthropy. According to the investment firm Seraphim Space, in 2024 a total of $8.6 billion was invested in 595 space tech start-up companies, all of whom are developing products and services for an increasingly congested and contested domain. In contrast, less than 0.01% of this amount was spent on civil society efforts to protect the space commons. Since the space economy is growing at a rapid pace, this gap is likely to increase unless philanthropy steps up to close the gap and support research and advocacy on the sustainable use of space as a global common.
| Founded in 2005, Secure World Foundation is the world’s leading civil society organization dedicated to ensuring the sustainable and peaceful uses of outer space for societal benefit on Earth. The Foundation works with national governments, the United Nations, industry, international organizations, academia, and civil society to develop and promote discussions, ideas and actions to achieve the secure, sustainable, and peaceful uses of outer space, benefiting Earth and all its peoples. No other organization matches SWF’s comprehensive approach to space sustainability and its experience on this topic. For the past 20 years, through the support of the Arsenault family, the Foundation has moved dialogue forward across sectors through convenings, policy and subject matter research, policy analysis, and nurturing novel partnerships. However, the accelerating pace of development in the space sector and associated governance issues this raises is outpacing the ability of SWF to keep up with all the emerging challenges to the cooperative governance of the space commons. Space governance and space sustainability are new frontiers of philanthropic action. The Arsenault family welcomes partners. |