Current Projects

Space safety and sustainability cover a broad range of topics with increasing relevance in today’s ecosystem.

This project involves working on the organization of an annual essay competition on subjects related to SSS goals: space safety and sustainability. The project will involve engaging the SGAC advisory board, establishing new partnerships with public and private entities, and coordinating PR and communication activities for the advertisement of the competition.

Involvement with this project is a great way to encourage students and young professionals to share their ideas on space safety and sustainability since it provides them with a platform to voice their initiatives and present their technical research to the wider space community. By supporting the SSS essay competition, members will directly contribute to shaping the future of space.

The winners of this competition will be provided full funding to attend IAC 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

For queries, contact: [email protected] / [email protected]

The need for On-Orbit Servicing has been increasing significantly over the past few decades and the challenges are becoming more nuanced and complex. Since none of the demonstrations in space to date have led to a reliably sustainable solution, it is more vital than ever to focus attention on this topic and develop a path forward.

The present study undertaken in this project is a continuation of previous research on On-Orbit Servicing as part of the Space Generation Advisory Council’s Space Safety and Sustainability initiative. The study aims to identify technical solutions which would enable companies to perform On-orbit services by proposing a standardization of the interfaces on spacecraft.

This Study is shaped around 3 pillars/goals:

• Communicate the need for standardization of interfaces for OOS through papers and conferences to engage the space sustainability community.
• Identify and develop interfaces by collaborating with industry and institutions based on technical needs.
• Implementation of a legal framework to stimulate and regulate the economy of IOS.

This pluri-disciplinary project is open to anyone who is interested in creating a more sustainable space.

For queries, contact: [email protected]

This project consists of designing, writing, and organizing the newsletter regarding Space Safety and Sustainability initiatives that will be sent periodically to members subscribed to the newsletter (about 1000 people!). The project was already successfully conducted in previous years and established workflows are in place. By being part of this project, you will be on the team responsible for sharing news on SSS topics with all members and you will be continuously informed on the latest developments in the space ecosystem.

For queries, contact: [email protected]

The UN sustainable development goals are the best-defined guidelines to achieve a sustainable future for all using space-based initiatives. It is of great relevance for SSS to underline what the space industry and the project groups are doing and could do to achieve such goals. A possible implementation for this project is to write periodical articles for the SSS Blog on a topic relevant to both space and the SDGs, but we are looking for new and creative ideas to enhance communication on these topics so, if you are interested, please bring forth any suggestions!

For queries, contact: [email protected]

In 2014, COPUOS developed a Compendium of space debris mitigation standards adopted by the Nation States and international organizations (“Compendium”). The resulting Compendium is a database of individual Nation State submissions and an overview of international mechanisms, which is also collated as a 97-page document. This database is incredibly valuable in its information about the evolution of standards to best practices, the development of international norms in space activity, and the design of legal mechanisms and regulatory structures that could be used to support international standardization of orbital debris mitigation practices. However, given the current format, the information is difficult to understand for the purpose of giving meaningful guidance on how the Nation States may initiate regulatory development or reform. This project proposes to utilize the information database provided by the Compendium to provide a structured insight into global approaches to space debris management through law and regulation. It aims to ensure that Nation States implement effective national legal mechanisms which will ensure the outcome of debris mitigation.

The objectives of the project are:

1) Distill COPUOS Space Debris Compendium into a review of global approaches towards implementing national legal mechanisms for mitigating space debris.

2) Write a report that may be published in full or in summary by COPUOS to supplement the information database.

3) Create recommendations for best practices to implement national legal mechanisms for space debris mitigation and also recommendations for further research on the establishment of norms relating to space debris mitigation practices.

For queries, contact: [email protected]

The project, Earth’s Orbits as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, focuses on the critical issue of space debris and how it endangers Earth’s orbits, as well as our future in space and on Earth. The project aims to protect this environment, securing a flourishing space economy and contributing to the democratization of space.

This work also advocates for outer space environmental and human heritage protection policies.

For queries, contact: [email protected]