Space is also only for the rich – Theodora Ogden

Satellites are used to manage the internet and TV and are essential for gps (global positioning system). They make weather forecasting possible, help scientists monitor environmental degradation, and play a vital role in modern military technology.

Countries that do not have their own satellites go abroad to provide these services. The options for those who want to develop satellite infrastructure are running out as space is becoming crowded.

I work as a researcher at Arizona state university, in the United States, and I am studying the great benefits that space offers and how to make it more accessible to emerging countries.

Where do I park my satellite?
In terms of access to satellites, the differences between rich and poor are already emerging. In the not too distant future, the ability to extract resources from the Moon and asteroids could become an important dividing line. And with the spread of regulations governing the sector, there is a risk that these inequalities will become permanent.

Thanks to the rapid commercialization, miniaturization and collapsing costs of satellite technology in recent years, more and more countries are able to reap the benefits of space.

Cubesats are small, inexpensive, customizable satellites that are simple enough for high school students to build. Companies like SpaceX can launch one of these satellites for a relatively low price, starting at $ 1,300 per pound. However, the slots, the “parking”, for a satellite orbiting the Earth are few and are rapidly running out.

The best places are in geostationary orbit, about 35,800 kilometers above the equator. A satellite in geostationary orbit rotates at the same speed as the Earth and always remains positioned over the same point on the earth’s surface, which is very useful for those involved in telecommunications, transmissions and weather forecasting.

There are only 1,800 geostationary orbital slots, and as of February 2022, 541 were occupied by active satellites. Several countries and private companies have already claimed most of the slots still available that offer access to major markets, and satellites to occupy them are currently being assembled or awaiting launch. If a state wanted to place a weather satellite for the first time on a specific point in the Atlantic Ocean that has already been claimed by someone else, it would have to choose a less favorable area or purchase services from the country occupying the desired point.

The orbital slots are assigned by a United Nations agency called the International Telecommunication Union. The slots are free, but are allocated to countries based on the order in which the application is submitted. When a satellite reaches the end of its 15 to 20 year life cycle, a country can simply replace it and renew the slot, thus occupying it indefinitely. Countries that possess the necessary technology to exploit geostationary orbit have a great advantage over those that do not yet.

Traffic and garbage
Although geostationary orbital slots are the most useful and the most limited, there are many other orbits around the Earth. They are filling up too, and this is contributing to the growing problem of space debris.

The so-called low earth orbit is located approximately 1,600 kilometers from the surface of the Earth. Low orbit satellites move rapidly in a busy environment. It is a good location for remote sensing satellites, but not ideal for satellites used in telecommunications, such as TV, radio and the internet.

Low Earth orbit can be exploited for telecommunications if multiple satellites work together to form a constellation. Companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are making plans to launch thousands of satellites into low orbit over the next few years to provide internet access around the world. The first generation of Starlink built by SpaceX is made up of 1,926 satellites, while with the second generation another 30 thousand will arrive in orbit.

At the current pace, major players are rapidly occupying geostationary and low Earth orbits, with the risk of monopolizing access to important satellite capabilities and increasing space waste.

Orbital slots are a world of injustice. The future of space may be characterized by a gold rush for resources, and not everyone will benefit from it.

Asteroids contain astonishing amounts of minerals and precious metals. At the end of 2022, NASA, the US government agency responsible for space programs and research, will launch a probe to explore an asteroid called 16 Psyche, which scientists say contains more than ten quintillion dollars (or ten billion billion dollars) of iron. ). The exploitation of huge resource deposits like this and their transportation to Earth could give a huge boost to the economies of states that have access to space, disrupting the economies of countries that currently depend on the export of minerals and metals.

Another valuable resource in space is helium-3, a rare version of helium that scientists believe could be used in nuclear fusion reactions without producing radioactive waste. While there are significant technological hurdles to overcome before helium-3 becomes a usable energy source, if it worked, there would be enough deposits on the Moon and elsewhere in the solar system to meet Earth’s energy needs for several centuries. If space powers develop the technology for the use and extraction of helium-3 and choose not to share its benefits with other countries, this could cause permanent disparities.

Current international laws are not suited to managing the complicated network of private companies and states competing for the resources of space. Countries are organizing themselves into groups – or “space blocks” – to coordinate on objectives and rules for future missions. Two notable space blocks are planning expeditions to create bases and potential mining operations on the Moon: the Artemis Agreements, led by the United States, and the joint plans of China and Russia.

Right now, the main actors are defining the directives for the exploitation of space resources. There is a risk that instead of focusing on the best solution for everyone, these decisions are driven by a logic of competition, damaging the space environment and causing conflicts. History shows that it is difficult to question international standards once they have been established.

Access to space is critical to the functioning of a modern nation, and will become increasingly important as humanity rapidly progresses towards a tomorrow of space hotels and colonies on Mars.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the founding document of space law, states that space should be used “for the benefit and in the interest of all countries”. The policies that take shape today will decide what really happens in the future.

(Translation by Davide Musso)