In 2022, the Secure World Foundation established the SWF Space Sustainability Research Fellowship program to explore fundamental questions underpinning space sustainability, including fundamental concepts such as the economics of a commons, and different types of governance models. This webinar, hosted by SWF, will feature the results of our inaugural cohort of Research Fellows.
Claire Oto, a Senior Policy Analyst at the University of Virginia's National Security Policy Center, explored issues of polycentric decision-making in global space governance. The research questions posed to Claire included:
- How does the existing body of literature on polycentric governance inform how we should be approaching space governance?
- What are the missing mechanisms, institutions, and stakeholders that need to be created or brought into the discussion?
- What should be the priority in applying polycentric governance concepts in near-term work to bolster space governance and enhance long-term sustainability, safety, and security of outer space?
Daniel Patton, an Environmental Specialist in Huntsville, Alabama, was tasked with developing a better understanding of the question, “Is Outer Space a Global Commons?” The research questions posed to Daniel included:
- What does the phrase ‘Space as a Global Commons’ mean?
- Is outer space actually a ‘global commons’ or a ‘common pool resource’?
- Which actors refer to outer space using these terms?
- How can concepts from the governance of the commons & common pool resources productively inform various space policy discussions?
- Are there approaches from the governance of other shared domains (air, sea, cyber, Antarctica, the environment) that might be usefully transposed to space governance?
- What concepts from those shared domains do not translate well to outer space?
- What happens when some actors see space as a commons, while others do not?
Please contact SWF Space Law Advisor, Christopher Johnson (cjohnson@swfound.org) for more information.
