Space Policy & Orbital Asset Security International Research Team
An operational unit of the Strategic Policy and Institutional Reform Division, developing international frameworks for space governance, orbital debris management, and the protection of critical space infrastructure — addressing the governance gaps in the Outer Space Treaty regime that the commercialization of space and the militarization of orbit have exposed.
Mission & Operational Scope
Governing the Final Frontier Before Competition Becomes Conflict
Space has become the fourth domain of national power — after land, sea, and air — and the fifth domain of conflict, after cyberspace. The satellites that provide GPS navigation, weather forecasting, financial transaction timing, and military communications are critical infrastructure that modern economies and militaries cannot function without. China and Russia have developed anti-satellite weapons capable of destroying these assets, and the United States has responded with its own counterspace capabilities. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 prohibits weapons of mass destruction in orbit but does not address conventional weapons, anti-satellite missiles, or the growing problem of orbital debris. The commercialization of space — with thousands of new satellites from SpaceX, Amazon, and other companies — is creating congestion in low Earth orbit that threatens the long-term sustainability of space activities.
This team develops the international frameworks that govern space — building the debris mitigation standards, anti-satellite weapon norms, and orbital traffic management systems that preserve space as a domain for peaceful use.
Governing Doctrine
Frameworks & Standards
- Outer Space TreatyOuter Space Treaty (1967) — foundational international framework for space governance including prohibition on WMD in orbit and the principle of space as the province of all mankind
- IADC GuidelinesInter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee guidelines — international technical standards for orbital debris mitigation including deorbit requirements and collision avoidance
- Artemis AccordsArtemis Accords — bilateral framework for lunar exploration cooperation establishing transparency, interoperability, and resource extraction standards for the new era of space exploration
- UN COPUOSUN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space — primary international forum for developing space governance norms and long-term sustainability guidelines
Operational Capabilities
Six Core Functions
01
Anti-Satellite Weapon Norms
Develop international anti-satellite weapon norms — building the diplomatic consensus around prohibitions on destructive ASAT tests, establishing rules of engagement for counterspace operations, and creating the verification mechanisms that make space weapons restraint agreements credible.
02
Orbital Debris Mitigation
Develop international orbital debris mitigation frameworks — establishing the binding deorbit requirements, active debris removal standards, and collision avoidance coordination protocols that prevent the Kessler syndrome cascade that could render low Earth orbit unusable.
03
Space Traffic Management
Develop international space traffic management frameworks — establishing 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.
04
Critical Space Infrastructure Protection
Develop international critical space infrastructure protection frameworks — establishing the norms against attacks on civilian satellites, the attribution standards for counterspace operations, and the deterrence frameworks that protect the GPS, communications, and Earth observation satellites that modern societies depend on.
05
Space Resource Governance
Develop international space resource governance frameworks — establishing the property rights standards, environmental protection requirements, and benefit-sharing mechanisms for the extraction of resources from the Moon, asteroids, and other celestial bodies that the Outer Space Treaty left unresolved.
06
Commercial Space Regulation
Develop international commercial space regulation frameworks — establishing the licensing standards, liability requirements, and spectrum coordination protocols that govern the growing commercial space sector while preserving the long-term sustainability of the orbital environment.