World leaders gather for Abu Dhabi space debate

Senior space exploration leaders and experts from government, academia and industry gathered in Abu Dhabi this week to discuss the future of space.

The debate ended with an overall call for international cooperation to reduce the risk of military conflict and improve the sustainability of the industry. Inaugural Abu Dhabi Space Debate (ADSD) aims to be the world’s premier space industry bi-annual event, bringing together more than 500 participants from over 50 countries to strengthen partnership on the future of space relationships and collaboration.

Global Engagement Fosters First Dialogue

ADSD participants who concluded the week included UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Senator NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Japanese Air Self-Defense Force Colonel Kazuki Tamai and Brigadier General Thierry Blanc of the French Space Command.

Also in attendance was a range of senior executives from international space agencies, including the United States, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Sweden, Portugal, Colombia, the Philippines and the European Space Agency, as well as Airbus, Amazon Web Services, Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin .

Outcomes: MoUs, joint initiatives, shared programs

In addition to increasing discussion through the event itself, a series of concrete measures and partnerships were agreed on over the two days. The UAE has further strengthened its role as a key partner in space for countries large and small, launching a new global observatory center with France and signing a new memorandum of understanding with the Philippines. Israeli President Isaac Herzog and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan also met directly to discuss further cooperation between the two countries in space.

The forum comes at a time of accelerating growth in interest and activity in space, with more than 70 countries now running dedicated space programs and an industry expected to be worth more than $1 trillion by 2030. In addition to the low-Earth orbit commercial opportunities offered by satellites, private companies are investing more in space tourism, and governments and militaries are shifting their focus to permanent planetary habitation on the Moon and Mars.

Below we provide quotes from various ADSD speakers, highlighting the importance of such global gatherings and outlining the international response needed to meet the challenges and opportunities of space.

Key excerpts from the debate

Her Excellency Sarah Al Amiri, UAE Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, commented on the importance of international exchange and cooperation in the future of space, saying:

We have enormous opportunities to examine, define and pursue potential solutions to some of the challenges facing our industry. The impact of these challenges will reach far beyond the space sector and has the potential to touch the everyday lives of people around the world. I believe at least some of them are potentially existential for our peaceful and cooperative exploration of the limitless potential of space. But I also believe the influence goes far beyond that – truly defining the limitless potential of human beings.

There is currently no global forum where regulators, governments, space commands, agencies, the private sector, and academia can come together to gain a comprehensive understanding of developments in this important sector. This is where we feel that the Abu Dhabi Space Debate can make a critical and valuable contribution to the development that further defines our industry. “

Echoing HE Al Amiri’s thoughts, Union Minister of State of India Dr. Jitendra Singh commented in his own speech:

“If we want to ensure that space remains a sector at the service of our common humanity, it is important to bring all stakeholders together to discuss and deliberate on space, and in this regard, this platform has the potential to shape the future sector of space.

Discussion list in ADSD on the role of the space sector in addressing climate issues, bringing environmental commitments, threats to and from space into political discussions, and making the existence of the private sector and space innovation human-centred and for humanity; and The relevance of our times was an eye-opening topic that set this initiative apart from any other gathering of this kind in space in the past. “

Regarding America’s ambitions, NASA Administrator Senator Bill Nelson added:

“As we move beyond low-Earth orbit, it is more important than ever to develop strong international cooperation and collaboration for civilian space exploration. Through the Artemis mission now, NASA will develop innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface, all in preparation for us to send humans to Mars. To this end, we will expand our collaborative and commercial efforts with international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the Moon. The next era of exploration should In a peaceful, secure and transparent manner.”

Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, made his point in his speech, adding:

“Space and its opportunities and challenges is an issue that affects every country and everyone in the world, one that requires true international cooperation, and one that we risk replicating existing geopolitical competition. Any country, regardless of size No one, however large, can afford to take advantage of the opportunities of space exploration alone. The costs involved and the scope of expertise make international cooperation essential to achieve goals that cannot be achieved alone.”

Commenting on Israel’s enhanced space partnership with the UAE, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said:

“Our two countries are boldly leading our region into new frontiers in space and leaving our mark on history. Together, we must harness the power of advanced space technology to address the urgent climate crisis in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. We Our partnership can turn our beautiful region into a global hub for climate solutions. It is a perfect match with Israel, which is a world leader in microsatellite technology, high-resolution and remote sensing capabilities, and space cybersecurity.”

William Alberque, director of the Strategy, Technology, and Arms Control Program at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, highlighted the geopolitical risks in space, commenting:

“With the return of great power competition, and especially with the UN Security Council more divided than ever, it’s hard to see the kind of cooperation of the 1990s and 2000s coming back. At this point, the Russians have moved towards their own international cooperation. China is looking to become a preeminent power and to challenge the dominance of the United States. We are looking at international competition, and at the same time, there is a lot of participation of small and medium countries – not only countries, but also industries.”

This is the inaugural ADSD held at the ADNOC Business Center and will be held every two years for the next few years. The debate has become the pre-eminent global forum for discussing issues ranging from the geopolitical implications of space exploration to regulation and the respective roles of the public and private sectors in advancing the stability and security of space assets. Political turmoil has shaken industries and national science and technology programs. development of.