Space Generation Advisory Council’s Post

I'm at the National Forum on Earth Observation at the Canadian Space Agency | Agence spatiale canadienne @Geunnadi Kroupnik, Director General of Space Utilisation spoke about the recent exciting investments in new EO programmes, and the creation of a new National Space Council, announced in the recent 2024 federal Canadian budget. Canada has a dedicated "Strategy for Satellite Earth Observation" called "Resourceful, Resilient, Ready", which clarifies national dependencies and benefits of EO, and an investment and policy roadmap. The key messages from Kroupnik are absolute gold. Other middle economies like Australia could learn a lot. 1. "Together we have had a lot of success". Canadian federal government funding for EO programmes, including sovereign satellites, ground stations and data management, is a result of close collaboration between three partner government agencies (Canadian Space Agency | Agence spatiale canadienne; Natural Resources Canada; and Environment and Climate Change Canada), as well as partnership with academia, industry and Indigenous stakeholders. 2. "Collaboration is our top priority". This includes all those mentioned in point 1, as well as international collaboration. Success is not possible alone, and everyone benefits when working in collaboration. 3. "Climate change, inclusivity and reconciliation influence everything we do." This. Just this. 4. "Talent matters". This actually follows logically from the previous point, and there is excellent focus not only on building a future workforce, but on ensuring talent is appreciated and people are valued. 5. "Canada has a place on the world stage, and it benefits everyone". A clear strategic vision of the role Canada can play in space technology collaboration and space governance, to the benefit of all. Middle powers, middle economies, and smaller nations as well, all have a role to play, and all depend on space technologies (especially EO). By identifying strengths as well as needs, a country can articulate where it can contribute and influence, and where it needs to build international partnerships.

You’re a space player? Here is why you should act on space sustainability: - Waiting for new global regulations is not an effective strategy. Technology innovation is and will continue to outpace current policies and regulations. - Business as usual is reckless. Only considering the debris issue, if we continue as is, collisions in low-earth orbit will have consequences on our daily business, expecting up to 250 catastrophic collisions until the end of the century [reference available] - It’s not just about sustainability in space, but also our impact on Earth. If we want to be relevant with respect to humanity’s challenges, we should look at the whole three pillars of sustainable development. After a three-day training proposed by the eSpace - EPFL Space Center on Space Sustainability, here are my three key insights on how we can do better as an industry: - Invest in RESEARCH. Good decisions are data-driven decisions and right now, we’re missing half of the story: what’s the impact of launchers on the different layers of the atmosphere, how about the effects of re-entry? - Measure our full IMPACT: Space sustainability is no longer just about debris. Like for projects on Earth, we need to measure the impact on the whole life cycle from cradle to grave (or even better cradle-to-cradle!). And this takes place at each step of the value chain, so it concerns everybody. - Let's choose an approach of SOBRIETY: new clean technologies - yes, but also yes to a more sober and appropriate approach with respect to today’s challenges. Do we really need this extra constellation in orbit? Is the value this mission is bringing worth the impact and demand on planetary resources? Any other thoughts? #futureofspace #spacesustainability Formation Continue UNIL-EPFL EPFL Extension School

The space sustainability paradox. By Andrew Wilson and Massimiliano Vasile Highlights 🎆 Space sustainability is a growing but often misunderstood concept.
 🎇 Sustainability from and of space are two finely balanced and interrelated issues.
 💫 Existing policies/remediation actions are not a long-term solution for sustainability.

⭐️ A major paradigm shift is needed to enable space sustainability. #scottishspacenetwork #spacescotland #SpaceSustainability #OrbitalDebrisSolutions #SpaceTrafficManagement #SustainableSpaceExploration #SpaceDebrisAwareness #EcoFriendlySpaceTech #SpaceInnovationScotland #DoughnutEconomicsSpace Space Scotland University of Strathclyde

Scientists are set to embark on a 14-day mission to develop a life support system in space with the pioneering initiative of Türkiye's first-ever manned space mission, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Republic, conducted in collaboration between the Turkish Space Agency (TUA) and TÜBİTAK Space Technologies Research Institute. Berat Haznedaroglu, a Faculty Member at Boğaziçi Üniversitesi's Institute of Environmental Sciences, disclosed that the primary focus of their work revolves around harnessing the unique properties of #microalgae to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, thus laying the foundation for a sustainable life support system in the challenging environment of space. More info at https://lnkd.in/ghz9qbDA #algaeurope #eaba #dlg #sustainable #microalgae #oxygen #technology #space #environment

AlgaEurope Thanks for sharing our project UzMAn (Microalgal Life Support Systems for Space Missions). Just to provide a bit more context to those that might be interested in: European Space Agency (ESA) has already tested Spirulina as part of their photosynthetic compartment within MELISSA Project. Chlorella was the first species on orbit (1960s) and Chlamy was sequenced at International Space Station (ISS) in 2020. In Project UzMAn, we will be sending three new species that will be sequestering concentrated cabin CO2 of ISS while their photosynthetic performance will be monitored real time. UzMAn will be the first experiment to conduct RNA-seq based transciptomics to investigate metabolic changes generated by microgravity conditions on microalgae. The launch is currently scheduled for January 2024. Hope all goes well and we will be happy to share the results in AlgaEurope 2024 :) EABA - European Algae Biomass Association #algae in #space #ISS

𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: 𝐀 𝐓𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 Like most sustainability topics, we realise that time is ticking (also see Darren's and Aarti's comments below). As the Summit for Space Sustainability (Tokyo 11-12 July 2024) is coming to a close, some of my observations: 1. 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐜𝐊𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 LeoLabs: The global space community is running out of time to gracefully transition from the current world of reliable LEO space operations to an environment where mission lifetimes are routinely curtailed due to orbital debris impacts. 2. 𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐀'𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬: In Pamela Melroy's keynote, she brought up the fact that NASA works in various disparate offices on space sustainability. Recent efforts (Space Sustainability strategy in comments) are efforts to overcome this issue. 3. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Similar to NASA's disparity in technical efforts to tackle space sustainability, we see various regulatory bodies in the US, with the FCC, FAA, NOAA all regulating different parts of space exploration. Gabriel Swiney brought up yesterday that it is important to have more clarity who regulates what, and where authority lies. On this topic: linking article in comments of recent Loper Bright case and what it could mean to upend the regulatory landscape in US. 4. 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Wahyudi Hasbi brought up that basic information sharing is essential and has real-world consequences, echoing points from Juli Lawless yesterday. Repeatedly, Indonesia has had rocket bodies from various states fall in their territories without prior notice. Wahyudi Hasbi complemented ISRO for always giving prior notice, even when a launch has a potential passover 5. 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡: current demographics in space debris show that most debris is only from a handful of nations. However, if we really want to move forward we have to get past the fault-based approach, says Chuck Dickey. Sharing the cost for cleanup should be pro-rated in future efforts. Every country has an interest in continuing space exploration, lets focus on that. 6. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 - Aarti Holla-Maini from United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA): From an inter-gov perspective, we must reach consensus on what success and sustainability means. Time is of the essence, but still work needs to be done to fully unpack the issues and achieve a shared understanding. 7. 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝, there are several important events coming up regarding space sustainability: 20-21 September 2024 - The UN Summit of the Future 8-11 October 2024 - Clean Space Days 10. 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭: Lots of due celebration for Astroscale's ADRAS-J mission, credit for the post image to Astroscale for that

The UK Space industry is ready for lift-off 🚀 Incredibly insightful afternoon yesterday at the TechUk ‘Supercharging Investment in Space’ event with speakers from across government and industry. We are very much in a new era of Space Race, and in the beginnings of a very exciting period of accelerated growth that will have real impact on the everyday. Here are some of my key takeaways from the event: - The UK has incredible potential to be a Space superpower, but decisions and actions in the near term will be crucial to its success. - Improved data & analytics, alongside a better understanding of the industry could rapidly change the landscape. It is our collective responsibility to enable the market. - The UK is the global leader for sustainability in Space, literally writing the standards and leading the charge for space debris clean-up. - Deep Tech and UK SMEs are already doing incredible things, but we need relevant and achievable solutions to solve scalability and resilience issues. - Now is the time to be bold. Business and investors need to recognise the industry’s potential and back our talent. Whilst improving commercial and marketing approaches could massively accelerate growth. It is no surprise that Space is one of the fastest growing sectors across the world. The battle for orbit supremacy will tangibly shape our future, whether that is with data and information, military capability or the new ‘gold rush’ on the Moon. The sky is no longer the limit. I’m also personally excited for the UK Space Agency’s involvement in COP28, as they showcase to the world the potential of Space to lead the fight on climate change, and I look forward to continuing to follow the industry’s progress over the coming months and years. Fun fact: Did you know (?) Space debris the size of a grain of rice can punch a 1 inch hole through solid metal? And that currently 99% of debris is invisible to us? This really highlights the scale of the debris problem, and the challenges and dangers facing our astronauts, satellites and engineers everyday.

On Thursday, February 15, I was in Singapore to speak at the Global Space and Technology Convention (GSTC), which brings together the main players in the Asia-Pacific region, for which ARIANESPACE has launched 99 satellites. 🌏 I decided to devote most of my speech to “sustainable space”, which represents the major challenge of our generation. 🎯 Thanks to Earth observation satellites, space plays a decisive role in understanding and monitoring climate change, since more than half of the Essential Climate Variables (ECV) can only be observed from space. With the Copernicus flagship program, for which AE has launched four satellites and is due to launch six more, Europe has the most ambitious and innovative program in this field. 🛰 Space also enables us to meet the challenges of collective security and global connectivity. And that is why we need space to be sustainable. 💚 Today, we are seeing a kind of space rush. And while this is fundamentally good news, it also comes with duties and the need for anticipation. In 2018, there were 2,000 satellites in orbit. Today, there are 9,097, 90% of them in low-Earth orbit. By 2030, there will be 30,000. At the same time, the number of space debris objects is growing, with 13,402 objects measuring over 10 cm. The risk of collisions is increasing, threatening the sustainable use of our orbits and creating tensions. We must not allow space to become the new Wild West! 🛑 Arianespace and ArianeGroup are stepping up their initiatives and commitments for sustainable space: - The Ariane 6 production sites and industrial processes have been designed with energy savings in mind (3D printing, friction stir welding, laser surface treatment, etc.) combined with a life-cycle analysis to better identify our environmental impacts. Several of these sites are also equipped with rooftop solar panels for more diversified power production sources. 🚀 - We use the wind-powered ship “Canopée” with emissions reduced by 77%; Canopée docked in French Guiana on February 21, carrying the A6 FM-1 stages. 🚢 - We are committed to leaving no debris in space, with the de-orbiting of Ariane 6’s upper stage in compliance with the French Space Operations Act. This commitment is unique in the industry. 🇫🇷 We need ever more ambitious SSA and STM programs. And more than ever, we must work with all the stakeholders—industry, operators, agencies, governments, and international organizations—to define good practices to ensure the long-term use of space in support of better life on Earth. 🤝   Singapore Space & Technology Ltd #GSTC #Ariane6 #FSOA

The International Mother Earth Day is just around the corner! 🌍🌱 In anticipation of this year’s World Earth Day next week, on 22 April, let’s explore how the efforts of promoting sustainable space exploration are aligned to the overall objectives of safeguarding our planet and its ecosystems. 🌌 🛰️ Last year’s observation highlighted the positive impact of space technology on many of the challenges our planet faces. This year, the global focus shifts to space sustainability. Our ventures beyond Earth have unintentionally created a debris cloud threatening future space exploration. 🚀💫 💡 Read Forbes’ recent article under the title “Earth Day 2024: A Call For Sustainability In The New Space Age”, and discover how the principles of ‘reducing’, ‘reusing’ and ‘removing’ can help us protect our space environment for generations ahead, at https://buff.ly/3JpH5dX #MotherEarthDay2024 #SustainableSpaceExploration #ProtectOurPlanet #JourneyToASustainableFuture #GreenHorizon 🌐 GH Website: https://buff.ly/48SfPjv