Space race could fuel global tensions, warns WEF; Heathrow hit by Omicron cancellations – business live | Business

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Photograph: WEF

The burst of interest in space from countries and companies risks exacerbating global tensions, as the dangers of militarization of space rise.

So warns the World Economic Forum in today’s Global Risks report, which points out that space is getting busier, with a record number of launches last year.

Businesses, start-ups and research entities are driving down launch costs particularly in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) orbits, it explains.

Companies are looking to provide direct-to-consumer broadband access via space, and also examining opportunities such as “hyperspectral remote sensing” to analyze the earth, energy generation, manufacturing, mining and tourism.

While early space activity was conducted or funded by the public sector, the last decade has seen growing private investment, the report points out, adding:

New commercial entrants are disrupting traditional incumbents’ control in delivering satellite services, especially in internet-related communications or launch services.

Some governments are encouraging private space activity to further national “territorial” claims or to foster the development of high-value jobs, especially in the zone of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) or Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), as well as enhancing their military or defense-oriented presence.

This increase of space carries the risk of congestion and an increase in space junk, and a danger of collisions in a realm where dated space governance frameworks are coming under considerable pressure.

The report says:

A greater number and diversity of players operating in space could generate new or exacerbate old frictions if not responsibly managed.

Photograph: WEF

Carolina Klint, Marsh’s Risk Management Leader for Continental Europe, says the “diversification of actors” is an exciting development, but warns that dated space governance frameworks are coming under considerable pressure:

In a blogpost on today’s report, Klint explains:

Growing security concerns, increased competition among global communications providers and leisure flight operators, weapons tests, the threat of harmful space debris, and nation-state pride may disrupt commercial and scientific endeavors, increase geopolitical tensions, and threaten future cooperative efforts around governance.

Photograph: WEF

Klint also warns the junkyard of space debris poses a threat to global communication networks and space travel.

World Economic Forum (@wef)

‘Our planet is surrounded by a junkyard of human-made space debris that poses a serious threat to global communications and the future of space travel.’@CarolinaKlint (@MarshMcLennan) on the need to clean up not just the planet, but what’s floating in space too.

January 11, 2022

Last month, Elon Musk denied that his Starlink satellites were taking up too much room in space, after the head of the European Space Agency claimed the US billionaire was “making the rules” himself.

And in late December, China accused the US of ignoring international engagement obligations and engaging in irresponsible and unsafe conduct in outer space after two near misses between the Chinese space station and Starlink satellites operated by Musk’s SpaceX company.

WEF’s report also flags that national space ambitions also bring a growing risk of the militarization of space, as the current gaps in space governance make arms races even more likely.

The US military created a Space Force as a separate branch of its armed services in 2019, while Japan’s Space Operations Squadron and the United Kingdom’s Space Command were both created in the last two years.

Other leading armed forces also now typically include a space component—for instance, in 2021, the French Air Force became the Air and Space Force (Armée de l’Air & de l’Espace).

In November of 2021, an anti-satellite weapons test conducted by Russia created significant debris and threatened astronauts on the ISS. Other countries have conducted similar testing, raising the spectre of repeat occurrences from other nations, which would add significantly to the problem of space debris.

A hypersonic weapons arms race also risks contributing to the militarization of space—China, Russia and the United States are all developing such weapons and each tested them in the second half of 2021.

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