【Report】Summary of the seminar delivered by Adam Bower

Governing Outer Space: Challenges and Opportunities

Adam Bower

On May 29, 2024, Dr. Adam Bower, Senior Lecturer at the University of St. Andrews, gave a presentation on the global governance issues in space at Ritsumeikan University.

Dr. Bower began his presentation by explaining why space matters. He noted that we regularly use technology that relies on satellites orbiting the earth in our daily lives. Moreover, satellite technology, such as satellite imagery and satellite internet access, has proven to be highly useful in warfare, as seen in the war in Ukraine.

Despite its importance, Dr. Bower explained that we face various challenges in generating norms, rules, and institutions in space, especially because building trust and verifying actors’ behaviors—critical elements of global governance—are relatively more difficult compared to the earth. However, he emphasized that it is possible to establish an effective space governance structure.

To cover the basics of space governance, Dr. Bower explained the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the very first treaty designed to regulate space activities. He explained that the treaty is under enormous strain today as we see developments that policymakers did not foresee in the late 1960s. Today, non-state actors like private corporations are playing an increasingly significant role in space. There are talks about possible settlements on the moon and beyond. Moreover, the lines between military and civilian technologies are thinning. Each of these developments puts pressure on a treaty that only focuses on state actors, prohibits states from making sovereignty claims in space, and bans placing weapons in space.

Dr. Bower explained that there are two competing approaches to space governance—one endorsed by the Western states and the other by China and Russia. Whereas the Western approach focuses on establishing norms that restrict certain behaviors, the approach of China and Russia emphasizes banning certain weapons technologies. He argued that the Western approach is preferable to the China-Russia one because almost any technology today can be used with both good and evil intentions. In other words, banning certain technologies will not be effective in regulating malign behaviors in space; it is better to clarify and regulate those behaviors.

During the Q&A session, the audience asked many interesting questions, such as security dilemma in space, the differences in the effect of anarchy in space and on earth, and the legal issues surrounding space travel.

Written by Daichi Morishige (PhD researcher at Ritsumeikan University)