Abstract
As a challenge of congestion in space environment has accelerated a need to rethink about adopting sustainability concept in to space activities, this dissertation is intended to examine an arrangement of space ecosystem suited to a new paradigm of sustainability. The suggestion on the arrangement derived in this work was based on advantages of In-Orbit Servicing (IOS), an advance technology that can change ways to conduct space missions. The study explored related information from literature reviews, business concepts, and interviews on national policies. An economic tool, design principles for Common-Pool Resource (CPR), was applied to figure out missing pieces of current space governance that need to be fulfilled and required synergize from multi levels since private sector, States, and international bodies. The suggestion covers the ways that all actors working together, agreement formulation, monitoring and sanction mechanisms, including the structure of governance effective to sustain the space ecosystem.
The concept of sustainability has been embedded in many ecosystems, including space. The space domain has been challenged by a critical problem of the increasing number of space debris which could endanger in-orbit assets, including social and economic activities on earth that depend on satellites. This industry has adopted the term sustainability and interpreted the concept to meet how space missions have been undertaken. Many efforts trying to establish practices and guidelines, for instance, Guidelines for Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities (guidelines for LTS) initiated by United Nation United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) and Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee guidelines (IADC guidelines) for space debris mitigation.
However, only international mechanisms are not enough to solve the problem as they are voluntary and mostly provide inactive advices. Then, various technology developments are presented to enable proactive solutions for space actors. Among the technology, the In-Orbit Servicing (IOS) is highlighted here as it is indispensable for the creation of a circular value chain for space objects, which is critical for sustainability paradigm. New services and offerings enabled by IOS open a new market in the space economy. For instance, Northrop Grumman life extension service for satellites, iBOSS standard satellite interfaces from DLR, PERASPERA InOrbit Demonstration project by EU, and Orbit Fab’s in-orbit gas station. The domain has welcomed new players and institutional actors who are pioneers in the novel market.
The interviews of experts from France, Japan, and Thailand were conducted. Their comments illustrated trends and activities related to space sustainability and IOS activities in their countries. For France, their idea on achieving sustainability of space is to create a new space paradigm. Space objects’ value chains should transfer from linear to circular. Almost resources and energy should be harvested in orbital areas instead of launching new inputs from the Earth. IOS businesses may not be viable in the long term without the whole new paradigm. For Japan, they initiated several programs to strengthen the capability of the private sector in the country. The programs serve both technological and commercial supports. The public sector will be an investor financing in a main in-orbit infrastructure, such as GEO robotic platform and GEO city, allowing the companies to utilize them for business purposes. For Thailand, they designed national space policies follows the IADC guidelines and the guidelines for LTS. The research and technology development to achieve space sustainability are prioritized. For IOS, as their satellites were manufactured by the companies, they would like to hear suggestions from the companies before selecting any IOS services for their satellites. They also added that cost of the service is significant and insurance for the service may affect their considerations.
The interviews showed that the three countries have agreed that to achieve space sustainability is importance. They are aware the advantages of IOS in upholding the sustainable space environment. Each country has prioritized different fields of space mission depending on their legacy and current assets in-orbit. Therefore, international mechanisms should take different opinions in to accounted on formulation of governance for space sustainability in global level.
In this study, a concept of tragedy of common is employed. The tragedy refers to a situation when a finite resource can be accessed freely by users and they jointly pay costs for maintaining the resource equally. Overconsumption of an individual can make the users gain more benefits, while he still pays for the costs in the same amount. Then each user is motivated to overharvest for private benefit, leading to depletion of the common resource. The resource is accounted as a Common-Pool resource (CPR). The challenge of congestion in orbital areas is consistent with a concept of tragedy of common, where the CPR is Earth’s orbits. This tragedy of common raises the question on “What are essential factors of governance structure for a sustainable space ecosystem that IOS activities can contribute?”
To response the problem, a recommendation is derived using an economic concept of CPR. Earth’s orbits are projected as finite resources that needed to be preserved to sustain space environment in the long-term. The classical design principles are used to examine gaps in the current space governance that should be considered as follows.
- Common practices that IOS-related actors should formulate and follow: The IOS appropriators in the system consist of two groups, 1) direct users who own in-orbit assets or capability to access space, 2) beneficiaries who are not executing the space missions directly but they are affected by the activities, such as non-profit organizations and insurance companies. The actors should follow existing practices, the IADC guidelines and the guidelines for LTS. The practices should be revised on regular basis. The revisions of the guidelines should be opened for participation of beneficiaries, private sector, and emerging actors.
- Mechanisms of work in sustainable space ecosystem: Three important mechanisms to ensure sustainability of space environment are addressed, 1) monitoring, 2) sanctions, 3) mechanism to settle disputes. Monitoring and sanctions each other should be undertaken by appropriators in the system. The actors should be supported to develop their capability, in order use the mechanism responding to misbehaviors. Facilitation from public sector to IOS private companies can advance the capabilities in monitoring and sanction process of the ecosystem. The IOS could increase complexity of space activities. The mechanisms to solve conflicts in the system should keep up progress of the technology.
- Different levels of the governance structure for sustainable space ecosystem: The governance structure in space ecosystem can be separated in to national, regional, and international level. Each level has a different design of governance. In national level, governmental sector can enforce the sustainable practices to domestic space activities. The regional level entities are able to establish legal obligation treaties among the member in addition to technology program that many countries use the same standards. The regional agencies can disseminate standards and practices in sustainability that they support from local to global level. International cooperation can present a more proactive role to promote space sustainability through a funding to support space missions that comply with the guidelines.
Transfer to the paradigm of space sustainability requires support from all sectors, technology, business, public entities, and international cooperation. IOS can be a powerful tool to make the scenario become real.
