Global Space Governance, Orbital Security & Celestial Treaty Task Force
A standing cross-divisional task force of the Fostering Diplomatic Relations Directorate, building comprehensive space governance frameworks and celestial body treaties — working to establish the rules for humanity's expansion into space before competition between states and corporations creates facts on the ground that no treaty can reverse.
Mission & Cross-Directorate Mandate
Governing the Final Frontier Before It Becomes the Next Arena of Conflict
The return to the Moon, the prospect of Mars colonization, and the commercialization of space are creating governance challenges that the 1967 Outer Space Treaty was not designed to address. Who owns resources extracted from the Moon or asteroids? What rules govern the establishment of permanent bases on celestial bodies? How should the orbital environment be managed as thousands of new satellites are launched? How should the militarization of space be constrained? These questions require comprehensive governance frameworks that span security, economics, environmental protection, and international law — dimensions that no single division of the Directorate can address alone. The window for establishing these frameworks before commercial and military activities create irreversible facts is narrowing rapidly.
This task force coordinates the Directorate's comprehensive space governance engagement — from orbital security to celestial body treaties to commercial space regulation.
Governing Frameworks
Legal & Operational Basis
- Outer Space TreatyOuter Space Treaty (1967) — foundational framework establishing space as the province of all mankind and prohibiting national appropriation of celestial bodies
- Moon AgreementMoon Agreement — international framework establishing the Moon and other celestial bodies as the common heritage of mankind requiring international governance of resource extraction
- Artemis AccordsArtemis Accords — bilateral framework for lunar exploration cooperation establishing transparency, interoperability, and resource extraction standards
- UN COPUOS LTSUN COPUOS Long-Term Sustainability Guidelines — international framework for sustainable use of outer space including debris mitigation and orbital traffic management
Core Operational Functions
Six Cross-Directorate Capabilities
01
Celestial Body Treaty Negotiation
Lead the Directorate's engagement in celestial body treaty negotiations — developing the Directorate's positions on resource extraction rights, base establishment standards, and environmental protection requirements for the Moon, Mars, and other celestial bodies.
02
Space Militarization Governance
Coordinate space militarization governance — developing the international norms, confidence-building measures, and arms control frameworks that constrain the weaponization of space and reduce the risk of conflict in the orbital environment.
03
Commercial Space Governance
Coordinate commercial space governance — developing the international regulatory frameworks, liability standards, and environmental protection requirements that govern the growing commercial space sector while preserving the long-term sustainability of the space environment.
04
Space Debris Remediation
Coordinate space debris remediation diplomacy — developing the international frameworks for active debris removal, binding deorbit requirements, and orbital carrying capacity standards that address the growing threat of orbital debris to all space activities.
05
Space Resource Governance
Coordinate space resource governance — developing the international property rights standards, benefit-sharing mechanisms, and environmental protection requirements for the extraction of resources from celestial bodies that the current treaty framework left unresolved.
06
Space Traffic Management
Coordinate international space traffic management — developing the conjunction assessment standards, maneuver coordination protocols, and orbital slot allocation systems that manage the growing congestion in low Earth orbit from commercial satellite constellations.