Small Satellites: Revolutionizing Space Exploration and Utilization

CONCURRENT SESSION 3-A: SMALL SATELLITES INTRODUCTION By Ram S. Jakhu; Session Co-Chair 16 March 2015 1

Definition of a smallsat (cubesat) is controversial Definition of a smallsat (cubesat) is controversial However, the most common definition seems to be the one in the IAA study of Earth Observation Satellites: Mini satellites are less than 1000 kg Micro satellites are less than 100 kg Nano satellites are less than 10 kg Pico satellites are less than 1 kg NASA: Cubesat with typically dimensions of 10 10 10 cm & a mass of about 1 kilogram ----- In addition, Femto satellite is in the 10 to 100 gram range 2

Smallsats are revolutionizing space exploration & utilization Smallsats are revolutionizing space exploration & utilization Pioneered by the University of Surry, UK, small satellites: are being designed and constructed for various applications, using different architectural designs, radio frequency bands, power budgets, mostly without propulsion capabilities, and mainly in Low Earth Orbits, in garages, small workshops and sophisticated industrial complexes, using simple and off-the-self parts to highly advanced technologies, by a variety of players, (e. g. private companies, governments and their agencies, armed forces, universities, research centers & even individuals), in the developed and the developing countries, 3

are of different sizes, shapes and weights, are costing from a few hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, are being/will be launched by heavy-lift rockets and/or small launch vehicles from the ground, sea, air and space, are and will soon be growing in numbers from thousands to hundreds of thousands, are providing unprecedented opportunities for educational, economic, scientific and strategic benefits, and thus are revolutionizing space exploration & utilization, which has just begun 4

Euroconsult: Approximately Approximately 510 to be launched to be launched in the next five 510 smallsat worth smallsat worth $7.4bn in the next five years ( years (2 March 2015) $7.4bn Of the 510 satellites, 75% will be for government civil & defence agencies http://www.aerospace-technology.com/news/newssmall-satellites-launch-five-years- euroconsult-report-4522698 5

Implications Implications for & challenges to the existing for & challenges to the existing space treaties and national laws and national laws space treaties Smallsats are major tools for expanding NewSpace commercialisation HOWEVER, they will have significant implications for, & pose challenges, to the existing international space treaties & national space laws & regulations Key Broad Questions Are: Will in the near future the currently applicable international and national regulatory regimes be sufficient for enhancing the benefits of small satellites and for meeting the regulatory challenges they pose? If not, what regulatory solutions should be adopted and by whom? 6

Some specific legal issues Some specific legal issues Challenges in the implementation of obligation under Article VI of Outer Space Treaty (authorization and continuation supervision) Challenges in the implementation of obligation under Article VIII of Outer Space Treaty and Registration Convention (international registration) Determination of responsibility and liability Adequacy of sufficient radio frequencies, their coordination and registration with ITU, harmful interference, etc. Challenges posed in creation, mitigation and removal of space debris Lack, inadequacy, and inefficiency of national legal & regulatory regimes, particularly for national licensing Difficulty in compliance with national export control regimes (ITARs) Challenges posed for national security interests Etc. etc. 7

Panelists Panelists Co-CHAIRS: Ram JAKHU (Associate Professor, Institute of Air and Space Law, Faculty of Law, McGill University - CANADA) Niklas HEDMAN(Chief of Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, UN Office at Vienna, Austria) SPEAKERS: Rene Laufer (Baylor University, United States) & Scott Madry (Global Space Institute, United States): Small Satellite Challenges around the World Mazlan Othman (Academy of Sciences, Malaysia) & Attila Matas (ITU, Switzerland): Small Satellites: Opportunities and Challenges Lucien Rapp, Victor Dos Santos, and Adriana Martin (Space Institute for Research on Innovative Uses of Satellites, France): Entering a NewSpace Era: What Might Be Expected From Satellite Miniaturization? 1. 2. 3. 8

Panelists Panelists SPEAKERS: Steven Freeland (University of West Sydney, Australia): NewSpace, Small Satellites and Law: Finding a Balance between Innovation, a Changing Space Paradigm and Regulatory Control 3. Michael Mineiro (IDA, Science and Technology Policy Institute, United States): Regulatory Uncertainty for Non-Traditional Commercial Space Activities 4. Gokhan Inalhan (Istanbul Technical University, Turkey), Kemal Yillikci (Permanent Mission of Turkey to ICAO), Kemal Nazim Ure (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States) & Emre Koyuncu (Istanbul Technical University, Turkey): The Future of Micro/Nano-Satellite Based Earth Observation and Communication Systems 5. 9

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION Thank you 10