Policy and Law

Alameda, California/ Kodiak, Alaska, 12 September 2020. – Californian-based Astra’s first orbital launch attempt was successful at lift-off but had to be shut down shortly after, the company said on Saturday. “At 8:19pm PT, Rocket 3.1 left the Alaskan coast at Astra’s Kodiak launch site,” the company said in a …

MOSCOW, 13 September 2020 – Reconstruction and modernization of the Sea Launch space complex, currently based in Russia’s Far East, is expected to begin in November 2020, Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin said in a video posted on YouTube. “I think that [we need to] solve all problems, legal issues, and …

by Malak Trabelsi Loeb Humankind’s interest in space is not a new phenomenon. [1] It is by nature that man pursues his endeavors to explore new dawns which evolved with his evolution, despite its associated risks [2]. Historically, human space exploration was initiated by the Soviet Union with the Sputnik launch into …

Singapore, September 11th 2020.- Singapore’s own rocket company, Equatorial Space Systems (ESS) announces a new partnership with UK-based Commercial Space Technologies Ltd (CST) for launch services to CST’s clients using the company’s Volans small launcher, slated for its first flight in late 2022. “With our first suborbital test flights right …

Join SpaceWatch.Global for an interesting and informative Space Café WebTalk featuring Dr. Bhavya Lal, Researcher at IDA Science and Technology Policy Institute.  This event will take place on 29 September 2020 at 4:00 pm CEST. Dr. Bhavya Lal will discuss key findings from a recent report she led on the emergence of the commercial space …

Washington, DC, 7 September 2020. – The White House has issued last week its fifth Space Policy Directive (SPD 5) outlining cybersecurity principles of space systems and operations. The memorandum signed by US President Donald Trump sets forth key cybersecurity principles for space systems and intends to serve as “the …

Washington, DC, 7 September 2020. – The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC, presented last week a comprehensive report on key governance issues in space. The research report conducted by CSIS’ Aerospace Security Project focused on space sustainability and debris mitigation, rendezvous and proximity operations, and …

As part of the partnership between SpaceWatch.Global and the European Space Policy Institute, we have been granted permission to publish selected articles and briefs. This is ESPI Briefs No. 43: ‘The new U.S. Defense Space Strategy’, originally published in July 2020. 1. Overview of the strategy The Defense Space Strategy (DSS) …

by Joshua Carlson It is an exciting time for space enthusiasts, particularly those who aim for economic development of the Moon. The Moon is awash in new flights, plans, and missions over the next decade – and very likely, far beyond that. A recent graphic by the ESA captures the …

by Guy Thomas, Contributing Editor The US Naval Intelligence Maritime Intelligence Integration Office (NMIO) recently hosted a virtual meeting sponsored by NATO ACT (Allied Command Transformation) on tools being used to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU).  It was heartening to learn of the tools and processes that are …