Abu Dhabi space debate defines ‘dawn of new space age’

a major space meeting Abu Dhabi The new geopolitics of space and the sector’s challenges will be discussed next month.

This Abu Dhabi Space DebateHeld on December 5-6, it will bring together world leaders, policymakers, military leaders, heads of space agencies, scientists and engineers.

president sheikh mohammed Israeli President Isaac Herzog will attend in person and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the event online.

The gathering comes amid landmark events in space, including giant satellite constellation Congested low-Earth orbit and a growing number of countries looking to militarize space.

There are also concerns over whether enough regulations are in place as private companies try to commercialize low-Earth orbit and dabble in the lunar economy.

The agenda and list of speakers were announced at a news conference in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

“There is no doubt that we are at the dawn of a new space age,” Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of Public Education and Advanced Technologies and Chairperson of the UAE Space Agency, told a media briefing.

“From the two space-capable players in the world in the 1960s, the United States and the Soviet Union, what we now see is a multilateral world where about 70 countries have space programs and private sector players are acting as launch providers, space station The role of builder, satellite funder — a role that was previously only in the hands of governments,” she said.

“The challenges we face are interconnected – our internationally supported space legislation dates in many cases to the 1960s, and our institutions are not flexible enough to deal with the space capabilities of today’s world.

“This is exactly why the Abu Dhabi space debate is critical to the development of our space sector.”

There will also be a session on the space industry, COP28will be held in Dubai Expo City next year.

An investigation into the role of space agreements, such as Artemis Accordsalso occurs.

These agreements are international agreements led by the United States that outline responsible space exploration, especially the exploration of the moon.

However, the agreement is not yet legally binding and much of it is a repetition of the 1967 United Nations Treaty on Outer Space.

Omran Sharaf, assistant minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation for advanced science and technology, said there were huge challenges, ranging from “the undermining of multilateralism by vested nationalist interests to the democratization of space and its assets”.

“We have to face the fact that we don’t currently have equal or fair distribution of access to space, nor do we encourage dialogue that is truly inclusive. Can we get over this? I believe we can. Will it be simple or easy? I believe not ,”He says.

The Abu Dhabi Space Debate will be held at the Adnoc Business Centre.

Updated: November 17, 2022 at 10:53 AM