The technical challenges leading to possible STM regulations are varied, spanning from industrial issues such as SST capabilities and satellite building techniques to downstream, more user-oriented challenges such as data-sharing agreements and best practices.
A description of the possible roles of current European institutional and industrial actors involved in space activities:
The stakeholder dialogue mechanism put into place during the course of the project (WP2) allowed for a better understanding of the mutual perceptions, roles and capabilities of various European actors operating in the space domain. WP3, dedicated to the legal, policy and economic aspects of STM, has benefited from the meaningful exchange of information resulting from the workshops planned over the duration of the project. WP3 paved the way for legal and policy guidelines and best practices as a conclusive part of the project. The exchanges during the stakeholder engagement workshops, as well as the legal, policy, economic and technical assessment conducted during most of the project duration have entailed proposing future roles for institutional and industrial actors to enable efficient STM practices.
An assessment of the paths for the SSA evolution to support safe and sustainable space operations:
The most important impact of this project is the assessment of paths to establish efficient and global SSA/SST, allowing for safe operations of all intended space projects, even those involving the simultaneous operation of tens of thousands of satellites. From a technical standpoint, emerging services associated with the use of a large number of satellites is conditioned by improved SSA capabilities. In other words, the expected evolutions in spacecraft operations will depend directly on the ability of space operator specialists to benefit from improved SSA data and information. This will impact positively employment and the rise of data-intensive services. Therefore, a specific WP was devoted to SSA/SST technological analysis for STM monitoring, taking into account the fact that an efficient STM should indeed allow for the viable operation of many satellites, for the development of new types of space operations, for encouraging activities in space and potentially paving the way for a future industrialisation of space.
By providing Europe with initial elements regarding the setting of STM norms, a preliminary European analysis of these issues should ensure a good position in international negotiations and cooperation. It must also be reminded that this norm-setting capacity will have to be supported by independent sources of information, emphasizing the need for a robust European space surveillance capability. This capability may provide opportunities for new data-sharing agreements between European and international actors.
The conditions created by SPACEWAYS should in turn allow civilian and military authorities to establish an efficient dialogue, ensuring both the safety of military space operations and the security and sustainability of the space environment itself.
