AI and International Space Law
Humans in Space
Humans began to properly explore space in the 1950s. Russia
launched Sputnik 1 and 2 in 1957. Yuri Gagarin, Russian, was
the first human in space in 1961. Aleksei Leonov, Russian, was
the first human to walk in space in 1965. Neil Armstrong, US,
was the first human on the moon in 1969. The International
Space Station was built in 1998, a collaboration between the US
and Russia. In present times, we have the phenomenon called
‘New Space’.
Space Economy
To look at where space exploration will go next, it is necessary
to understand the factors that influence the industry. One of
the most important factors would be the economy. Huge
budgets influence the space industry. In 2019, it was estimated
that the Satellite Industry Association (SIA) had a budget of
$360 billion. Space Foundation (SF) had a budget of $414.8
billion. Thus, according to these figures, the global space
economy is worth between $360-$414.8 billion.
The budget is broken down into four major sections:
1. Government Space Budgets
2. Ground Stations and Equipment
3. Commercial Satellites and Launches
4. Space Products and Services (the biggest proportion of the
budget goes into this section).
The budgets per Government differ as well. For example
(figures from 2019):
US = $41 billion
China = $5.83 billion
EU = $2.12 billion
UK = $894 million
Russia = $4.17 billion
The ‘New Space phenomenon’
Private actors also invest in the space industry, it is not just left
to the industry itself. Private investments are starting to play a
, more important role in the industry and their goal is to conduct
space activities independently form governments.
The rise of new actors in the space industry is part of the ‘new
space’ phenomenon. These actors include:
Private investors.
Public private partnerships (PPP). For example,
SpaceX: the first commercial operator to carry astronauts
into space under a PPP set up by NASA, the American
Space Agency, in 2010. The launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9
rocket and Crew Dragon capsule was carried out from
Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre to the International Space
Station on 30 May 2020.
New space fairing nations.
Public procurement and support schemes.
Emerging technologies.
Space Technology
Crew Dragon is designed to autonomously dock and undock
with the International Space Station. But what does this mean
in terms of technology?
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a world leader in planetary
exploration, earth science, and space-based astronomy and
leverages investments in innovative technology development
that supports the next generation of NASA missions. They have
stated that their top priority is autonomy in relation to space
technology. Fully autonomous systems will function without
human intervention: moving, seeing, thinking, learning, and
acting on their own. AI will give the autonomous system its
decision-making capabilities, drawing on massive libraries and
efficient analysis made possible by innovations in data science.
Some future missions will have limited communication with
Earth, requiring the systems to be able to assess their own
environment and make decisions independently. Missions that
cannot receive commands from Earth quickly and reliably will
need the autonomous capability to explore with reduced or no
human intervention. Moreover, some missions can only happen
with autonomous systems.
Humans in Space
Humans began to properly explore space in the 1950s. Russia
launched Sputnik 1 and 2 in 1957. Yuri Gagarin, Russian, was
the first human in space in 1961. Aleksei Leonov, Russian, was
the first human to walk in space in 1965. Neil Armstrong, US,
was the first human on the moon in 1969. The International
Space Station was built in 1998, a collaboration between the US
and Russia. In present times, we have the phenomenon called
‘New Space’.
Space Economy
To look at where space exploration will go next, it is necessary
to understand the factors that influence the industry. One of
the most important factors would be the economy. Huge
budgets influence the space industry. In 2019, it was estimated
that the Satellite Industry Association (SIA) had a budget of
$360 billion. Space Foundation (SF) had a budget of $414.8
billion. Thus, according to these figures, the global space
economy is worth between $360-$414.8 billion.
The budget is broken down into four major sections:
1. Government Space Budgets
2. Ground Stations and Equipment
3. Commercial Satellites and Launches
4. Space Products and Services (the biggest proportion of the
budget goes into this section).
The budgets per Government differ as well. For example
(figures from 2019):
US = $41 billion
China = $5.83 billion
EU = $2.12 billion
UK = $894 million
Russia = $4.17 billion
The ‘New Space phenomenon’
Private actors also invest in the space industry, it is not just left
to the industry itself. Private investments are starting to play a
, more important role in the industry and their goal is to conduct
space activities independently form governments.
The rise of new actors in the space industry is part of the ‘new
space’ phenomenon. These actors include:
Private investors.
Public private partnerships (PPP). For example,
SpaceX: the first commercial operator to carry astronauts
into space under a PPP set up by NASA, the American
Space Agency, in 2010. The launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9
rocket and Crew Dragon capsule was carried out from
Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre to the International Space
Station on 30 May 2020.
New space fairing nations.
Public procurement and support schemes.
Emerging technologies.
Space Technology
Crew Dragon is designed to autonomously dock and undock
with the International Space Station. But what does this mean
in terms of technology?
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a world leader in planetary
exploration, earth science, and space-based astronomy and
leverages investments in innovative technology development
that supports the next generation of NASA missions. They have
stated that their top priority is autonomy in relation to space
technology. Fully autonomous systems will function without
human intervention: moving, seeing, thinking, learning, and
acting on their own. AI will give the autonomous system its
decision-making capabilities, drawing on massive libraries and
efficient analysis made possible by innovations in data science.
Some future missions will have limited communication with
Earth, requiring the systems to be able to assess their own
environment and make decisions independently. Missions that
cannot receive commands from Earth quickly and reliably will
need the autonomous capability to explore with reduced or no
human intervention. Moreover, some missions can only happen
with autonomous systems.
