Preventing Space War

How do we reduce the probability of a cataclysmic space war by redefining the way that space is understood and by laying the foundations for an innovative, interdisciplinary commitment to preserving space as a collaborative domain free from war?

Space war has been a concern from the mid-20th century onwards. Yet the possibility of space war – whether a war in space or the significant use of space for enabling war –  is rapidly increasing at a time when our global society lacks the tools, language, and imagination to guide the conversations we need and develop the systems we require to minimize the probability of armed conflict in space. This project, a partnership with the ASU Center on the Future of War, will convene experts and stakeholders to address three topics: understanding the consequences and pathways to conflict in space, open-source intelligence for space domain awareness, and understanding how space, space ownership, and space conflict is conceptualized socially, politically, and culturally.

Key accomplishments

• Hosted the first Preventing Space War forum on May 17, 2023 in Washington DC. The forum convened cross-sector experts to advance a common understanding of the importance of preserving a collaborative space domain benefiting all of humanity. Watch the recording or visit the website. 
• Media stories were published in ASU News and Space News.
• The forum report highlights the key themes, including the need for new norms and behaviors in space, and recommendations of next steps to advance the topics.
• Flinders University delivered a commentary “Space War = Space Money?” addressing an important question: what role are commercial entities playing in the space domain and what happens if they get involved in a space war?

Team members