TWiS 194: COPs in Space! - Is the Outer Space Treaty Ready for the New Space Race?

The Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which was intended to regulate activities in space, is hard to enforce and woefully out of date. New nations and private actors are entering the spaceflight arena, and an updated mechanism with a bit more teeth is needed. Our guest, Ely Sandler, a Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, has put forward the idea of using COPs—not the kind in uniform, but a Conference of Parties—as a less-formal gathering of spacefaring (and space-ambitious) entities, to discuss future treaties, agreements, and enforcement mechanisms, eventually leading to new treaties. These would be similar to the annual climate COP that has provided useful discourse on climate change. A space COP would address responsibility for and control of orbital assets, land and resource use on the Moon, Mars, and asteroids; and possibly limits to the militarization of space. Join us for a fascinating discussion!

Headlines:

• Artemis II Moon Rocket Rolls Out for Launch Preparations
• Crew-11 Astronauts Speak on Space Station Medical Evacuation
• Earth Faces Strongest Solar Radiation Storm in 20 Years
• Auroras Sparked Across Unusual Latitudes

Main Topic: Is the Outer Space Treaty Obsolete? Examining the Future of Space Governance with Ely Sandler

• Outer Space Treaty's Vagueness and Limits for Modern Space Activity
• Why New Space Policy Models Are Needed for Orbital Debris, Spacecraft Ownership, and Liability
• "Conference of the Parties" (COP) Model Proposed for Space Law Updates
• Challenges of Property Rights, Exclusion Zones, and International Consensus on the Moon
• How Commercial Space and Military Concerns Intersect Under Outdated Treaties
• Space Solar Power's Potential and Regulatory Hurdles for Energy Beaming

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Ely Sandler

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