Letter: Don’t underestimate the dangers of space economy

Peggy Hollinger raises valid concerns about how the new space economy is evolving (“New star wars over satellite space push participants to take sides”, Inside Business, January 4).

She is right to stress the importance of “equitable access to spectrum and orbits”.

We must not underestimate the dangers of the commercial space age. Humanity has become over-dependent on space-based assets for our daily needs, including critical infrastructure such as the internet, navigation and weather prediction.

This growing dependence means that any disruption of space orbits will disrupt vital activities on Earth for all, because terrestrial and space security are interlinked.

The exponential growth of disruptive space debris and the militarisation of outer space also merit serious concern.

As outer space becomes more congested and contested, we need to find equitable and sustainable ways to reconcile national and commercial interests with global and planetary interests. As a global commons, if outer space becomes critically unsafe, it will not be selectively unsafe, but unsafe for everyone.

Professor Nayef Al-Rodhan
Head of the Geopolitics & Global Futures Department, Geneva Centre for Security Policy, Geneva, Switzerland
Member, Global Future Council on Complex Risks, World Economic Forum