Dr. John M. Logsdon, the head of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs, recently gave a lecture entitled, “Outer Space: The Next Frontier for International Affairs?”
Professor Logsdon addressed the increasing relevance of space on the way we conduct business and politics:
According to Logsdon, there are approximately 620 operating satellites in orbit, with 52 launched in 2005 alone. Ten countries have developed their own technology for launching objects into space while three more (Brazil, Korea, and ) are in the process. Another thirty-five countries have placed their name on a hired satellite.“This reality will continue to be the case in coming decades,” he said, “perhaps leading to a transition from international affairs to interplanetary affairs.”
One issue that affects both business and politics is the resurgent question of “who owns what” in space. Though the 1967 Outer Space Treaty claimed, “outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies is not subject to national appropriation by claims of sovereignty,” several South American nations, led by Columbia, recently fought to have the area where satellites fly over the equator considered part of their jurisdiction.
Professor Logsdon made the point that even though "a large business sector has emerged in space," there is no organization, such as the World Trade Organization, that manages this arena. According to The Daily Colonial, Logsdon argues that perhaps there shouldn’t be. I agree with professor Logsdon about that. As demonstrated in many of the works written by science fiction grand master Robert A. Heinlein, the human migration to space will likely follow the model of the "settlement" of the New World. The less regulation the better.
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