Outer Space: Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, 62nd session, 1023 meeting

Good morning, distinguished delegates.

Good morning.

Good morning, distinguished delegates. I now declare open the 1023rd meeting of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Distinguished delegates, this morning we will continue our consideration of Agenda Item 3, General Exchange of Views. We will continue and hopefully suspend our consideration of Agenda Item 10, Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities. There will be 5 technical presentations this morning. Delegates are reminded that the full schedule of technical presentations is available on the session's webpage. Are there any questions or comments on this proposed schedule? I see none. Distinguished delegates, I'd now like to continue our consideration of item 3 of our agenda, General Exchange of Views. I now turn to the list of speakers. The first speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Indonesia. You have the floor.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Good morning, everyone. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, at the outset, I would like to take this opportunity to express our pleasure at seeing you as the chair of these 62 sessions of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the COPOS. I believe your wisdom and leadership will enable us to achieve a successful session of this SDAC, and let me assure you my government's support and cooperation. We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to the Director of UNOSA, Ms. Arti Holamaini, and the Secretariat for their hard work in preparing this meeting. My delegation associates itself with the statement made by groups of G77 and China. We would like to add the following remarks in our national capacity. Chair, my delegation would like to express our appreciation of the works of UNOSA in 2024, as reported by the Director. Indonesia hopes that more bilateral cooperation with the UNOSA can be further developed. We also would like to echo others in welcoming Djibouti and Latvia as new members of COPOS. Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, allow us to join others in expressing our deepest condolences to the Polish delegation for the loss of Ambassador Andrzej Miszal, former chair of the Working Group on Space Resources. My delegation would like to reiterate that outer space should be used and explored exclusively for peaceful purposes and contribute to the maintenance of peace and security, bringing the benefits to all humanity in accordance with international law, including United Nations Charter. In this spirit, Indonesia gives priority to the need to develop mutual understanding among member states and stakeholders, international cooperation, including capacity building, institutional strengthening, and transfer technology. We believe that international cooperation should be inclusive, taking into account various technological levels, especially for non-spacefaring nations and evolving developing countries. Our delegation has followed very closely the development of our work since the committee sessions, subcommittee sessions held last year, as well as the outcome of the previous 61st session of the STSC held last year. While noting with appreciation the fruitful results and recommendations of those meetings, my delegation would like to address several key issues that need close Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to share with your attention in this 60-second session. First, we thank UNOSA for facilitating Indonesia's participation in the UN Program on Space Application event held in 2024, including UN Austria Symposium Climate Action. Those meetings enabled Indonesia to share our success story and lessons learned in transforming space-based technology projects in sustainable services that supports policymaking. We hope that UNOSA can maintain the hybrid format for capacity-building programs in the future. Second, with regard to the Space System-Based Disaster Risk Management support, Indonesia is committed to continue as Regional Support Office for UNSPIDER. With regard to the activities related to international cooperation in the field of outer space, we would like to inform that in 2024, Indonesia hosted a workshop, Strengthening Disaster Resilience in Asia-Pacific Region: Integrated Risk Management Through Geospatial Data and Disaster Hotspot Mapping for Enhanced Preparedness, in November 2024, co-organized by UNSCAP and BRIN. Third, in relation with the highest— with the issues of long-term sustainability of outer space, Indonesia wishes to highlight the importance of spatial responsibility of launching states related to uncontrolled reentries of space objects. My delegation also encourages holding more discussions which could produce concrete recommendations to tackle the issues of lack of required data, information, knowledge, technology, and infrastructure to implement long-term sustainability guidelines. There are some points we also would like to share with you and also the delegation, but I think because of— due to the time constraint, we would send our statement in written by email to the Secretariat. I thank you very much, Madam Chair and delegation.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Indonesia for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Ghana. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning, everybody. Madam Chair, since this is the first time that Ghana is taking the floor, I would like to extend on behalf of the government of Ghana warm congratulations to you on your chairmanship and express our gratitude to you and to the Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, Ms. Artie Olamaini, for the excellent organization and preparations towards the 62nd session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The Ghanaian delegation associates itself with the words of condolence to our Polish colleagues in the— on the passing of Ambassador Andrzej Mistal, who continued Advancing the peaceful exploration and use of outer space. Ghana associates itself with a statement made by the G77 and China and wishes to urge these statements. Ghana extends warm welcome to the 2 newest members of COPUS, Latvia and Djibouti. Their inclusion highlights the growing global consensus on the indispensable role of space science and technology in international development and underscores the relevance of our collective work on this committee. Madam Chair, Ghana recognizes the immense benefits that space-based research and innovations bring to developing and developed nations alike. Since the successful deployment of our first satellite, GhanaSat-1, in 2017 and the subsequent approval of the National Space Policy, Ghana has intensified its efforts to harness the capabilities of space technology for socioeconomic development. We have advanced domestic space program through the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute and continue to explore collaboration opportunities to build upon the momentum gained in satellite technology, Earth observation, and satellite-based communications. These initiatives support national priorities in agriculture, disaster management, climate monitoring, and telecommunications, directly contributing to the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Madam Chair, Ghana reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the fundamental principles enshrined in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which remains the cornerstone of international space law. And Ghana also underscores the importance of universal— universalizing this regime as it fosters transparency, confidence, and peaceful cooperation in outer space. We welcome the ongoing discussions on establishing frameworks for space traffic management space debris mitigation, and space resource utilization. And Ghana believes that these issues require inclusive dialogue, capacity-building opportunities, and the exchange of best practices to ensure responsible, safe, and sustainable access to outer space. And we recognize that these are some of the things that are happening right here at this meeting. And Ghana greatly values the role of international partnerships in bridging capacity building within emerging space faring nations. We call for continued support from established spacefaring nations, agencies, and private sector partners to deepen regional expertise in mission design, launch operations, data processing, and policy formulation. We appreciate the existing platforms UNOSA provides to facilitate technical assistance, capacity-building programs, and expert missions including the Space Law for New Space Access Program, of which Ghana is a beneficiary. We must continue to strengthen such initiatives to support the growing number of space actors, especially from developing countries. Ghana endorses the Space 2030 Agenda and looks forward to contributing to its midterm review this year. We particularly appreciate its emphasis on inclusive growth, poverty eradication, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through space-based solutions. Madam Chair, Ghana strongly believes that space science and technology hold transformative potential for our collective future. Through sustained international cooperation, robust capacity building, adherence to rules-based frameworks, and a commitment to peaceful and sustainable space activities, we can ensure that the benefits of outer space are shared equitably among all nations. In closing, Madam Chair, Ghana looks forward to continuing its active engagement within COPOS and reaffirms its support to the committee's mission. Let us strengthen our global partnerships, as we're doing now, for the peaceful exploration and use of outer space to benefit our peoples and our planet. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Ghana for the statement. The next speaker on my list is the distinguished observer of the European Space Agency. You have the floor.

Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, first let me start by commending you, Madam Chair, on your excellent work in leading this subcommittee and assure you our delegation's full support during your chairmanship. Let me also express my appreciation to the Office of Outer Space Affairs for the excellent organization of this meeting, as well as its continuous support and guidance to the work of the committee. We join the other delegations in welcoming Latvia and Djibouti as the new state members of the committee. Madam Chair, ESA has witnessed several exciting space-related milestones in the past year. Allow me to highlight some of those. The first launch of Ariane 6 on July 9th, 2024, from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana, successfully released several satellites into a circular Earth orbit. With Ariane 6's upper stage restart capability, Europe's launch capability will be tailored to the needs of multiple payload missions. This autonomous capability to reach Earth orbit and deep space supports Europe's navigation, Earth observation, scientific, and security programs. Year 2024 also saw the return to flight of Vega-C launcher in December, bringing a Sentinel-1 satellite successfully into orbit. Hera, launched in October 2024, is a planetary defense mission to investigate the Didymos binary asteroid. Hera will provide valuable information for future asteroid deflection missions and science, as well as investigating asteroid geophysics, the formation of the solar system, and its evolutionary process. In April 2024, ESA celebrated the graduation of candidates from ESA Astronaut Class 2022 at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. This event not only marks the successful completion of rigorous training, but also serves as the platform for announcing the carefully curated selections for upcoming space missions. The EarthCARE mission that was launched in May 2024 is a key initiative by ESA aimed at enhancing our understanding of climate weather patterns by providing critical data on clouds, aerosols, and radiation. 2025 looks to be an exciting year for ESA as well. Beginning of 2025, Slovenia became the 23rd member state of ESA. The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission flew past Mercury for the 6th time, making its closest approach on January 8th this year. This flyby will help steer the spacecraft into orbit around the innermost planet late in 2026. Year 2025 will also see the launch of various Sentinel missions. MetOp 2nd generation A-1 and Sentinel-5 are equipped with state-of-the-art technology to deliver crucial data for weather forecasting and air quality monitoring, respectively. This year will mark the European Space Agency's 50th anniversary. and promises to be a landmark year for the European aerospace industry. Also, ESA's International Ground Station Network, ASTRAC, enables missions by communicating with spacecraft, transmitting commands and receiving scientific data and spacecraft status information, celebrates its 50 years. Since its debut, ASTRAC has grown and developed. In addition to milestone events in our programmes, September will also mark 30 years of satellite navigation for Europe. In the second part of this year, ESA Council at ministerial level will be held. In this occasion, key decisions will be taken that will shape the future of Europe's space ambitions. Distinguished delegates, let me conclude by emphasizing ESA's commitment to remain an active, dutiful member of the international space community, exploring and using outer space, working towards capacity and partnership building, strengthening the rule of law in outer space, and finally, making a meaningful contribution as a permanent observer to the important work of this committee. Madam Chair, delegates, thank you very much for your kind attention.

I thank the distinguished observer of the European Space Agency for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished observer of the Inter-Islamic Network on Space Science and Technology. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, on behalf of the Inter-Islamic Network on Space Sciences and Technology, ISNEN, it is my privilege to address this 62nd session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Madam Chair, established in 1987 under the auspices of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, also known as OIC, ISNET is committed to promoting space sciences, technology, and application for peaceful purposes among OIC member countries. Over the years, ISNET has fostered meaningful international cooperation enabling member states to harness the benefits of space science and technology. Madam Chair, it's my pleasure to report ISNET's key activities in 2024, which were pivotal in building capacity and fostering innovation among member states. First, in collaboration with leading space organizations, ISNET organized 4 online activities, that is, webinar on big data and space sciences, training course of— on crop type and area estimation by remote sensing data, training course on developing and exploiting radar altimetry to measure water level variability from space, and training course on leveraging AI for precision agriculture. These events trained over 200 professionals from member states, equipping them with cutting-edge skills to address developmental challenges using space space-based solutions. In May 2024, ISNET launched its podcast series Let's Talk Space, which has resonated strongly with audiences across member states. The series featured 7 episodes covering topics such as CubeSat innovation, Earth observation, and the role of space law. Experts from diverse fields shared insight, fostering regional pride and encouraging investment in space programs. The podcast has successfully captivated a global audience, with episodes receiving up to 1.3K views. Moreover, ISNET initiated a call for space experiments in collaboration with SPARCO. This program invited innovative proposals from member states focusing on utilizing microgravity environments for advancement in health, agriculture, and material science. Selected experiments will have the opportunity to be tested abroad, China Space Station. ISNET also strengthened its partnership with international organizations to facilitate collaborative research and resource sharing. This includes joint efforts with SPARCO, IST, and others to host specialized training programs and establish platform for collaborative satellite missions. ISNET also co-organized the EBSCO University of Sharjah AUASS International Symposium in Sharjah, UAE, and actively participated in regional space forums to advocate for the peaceful uses of outer space and regional capacity building. Madam Chair, ISNET recognizes the crucial role of UNOOSA in fostering international cooperation and ensuring that space benefits are equitably distributed. We reaffirm our commitment to supporting the objectives of this subcommittee and UNOSA in capacity building for member states through initiatives like the podcast and the call for space experiments. ISNET is dedicated to democratizing access to space knowledge and resources, empowering OIC member states to contribute to the global space community. Madam Chair and distinguished delegates, ISNET looks forward to continuing its collaboration to address challenges and unlock the potential of space technology for sustainable development. Thank you for your attention.

I thank the distinguished observer for the Inter-Islamic Network on Space Science and Technology. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished observer for the Committee on Space Research. You have the floor.

Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, the COSPAR 45th Scientific Assembly held at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center, BEXCO, in Busan, Republic of Korea, from 13th to 21st July 2024, and attended by over 3,000 participants, was a great success thanks to our dedicated hosts and the vibrant COSPAR community. COSPAR conveys its heartfelt thanks to the Korean local organizing team and and to the program committee. The 2024 Assembly opening and awards ceremony was followed by the roundtable of space agency leaders and the opening reception. COSPAR was able to gather space leaders from the New Korea Aerospace Administration, CASA, CNSA, JAXA, NASA, ASI, ISRO, and the UAE. Other highlights included topical lunches and several industry-led panels and public lectures. All 7 of the interdisciplinary lectures were well attended, with a minimum of 400 attendees each, including one by Mr. Driss El-Hadani, Deputy Director of UNOOSA, on the importance of space research in COPA's activities and interaction with COSPAR. A total of 61 organizations, including international scientific unions and committees, intergovernmental entities, national space agencies, and private companies, sponsored many of the scientific events. COSPAR gratefully acknowledges the sponsorship of these organizations. Financial support was used to help ensure the participation in the assembly of scientists who otherwise would not have been able to attend, the majority of whom were young and from developing countries. For this Scientific Assembly, COSPAR was able to support a large number of early career researchers and researchers from developing countries. Building on this momentum, we are committed to organize a forward-looking 46th COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Florence, Italy, 1 to 9 August 2026, under the theme Sustainable Space Research for the Planet, in a context where more countries develop their space activities, also leading to more recent applications to become COSPAR members. Today's space ecosystem is a complex interconnected network of scientific, technological, industrial, economic, and governmental elements. Within this framework, COSPAR plays an essential role and needs to collaborate effectively with other space stakeholders to establish mechanisms that incorporate the latest scientific discoveries and research advancements into space policies and regulations. By fostering collaboration between industry and scientific organizations, In particular, through our Committee on Industry Relations, we strengthen this ecosystem, pooling resources, expertise, and innovation to accelerate technological progress and space exploration. Scientific research in space is reaching new heights that underscore the importance of advancing scientific knowledge and preparing for ambitious international cooperative space projects. International science organizations like COSPAR play a crucial role in shaping this evolving space sector and supporting sustainable space activities. We are keen to increase our interaction with these organizations as members or partners in joint projects. This is, for instance, the case with the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization, APSCO, for which we are proud to signing a cooperation memorandum of understanding. COSPAR also organized 4 capacity-building workshops last year in Kenya, Uzbekistan, China, and Thailand to support building of national competences and space education worldwide. In conclusion, during the Scientific Assembly in Busan, COSPAR introduced its new community-driven Space Weather Roadmap, and the recently updated Planetary Protection Policy. COSPAR continues to promote global collaboration by uniting researchers, agencies, and countries to address scientific challenges that are too complex or costly for any single nation. As the space sector continues its rapid expansion, COSPAR's role in coordinating and and advancing scientific excellence that underpins international cooperation and governance will only become more vital. Looking ahead, COSPAR is preparing for the 6th COSPAR Symposium in Nicosia, Cyprus, scheduled for— from 3 to 7 November this year, 2025, under the theme Space Exploration 2025: A Consortium on Humanities Challenges and Celestial Solutions, and informative flyer is being provided to this session of SDSC. I would finally like to call the attention of delegations that in addressing science, international cooperation, and governance, COSPAR, together with IAA, IAU, and Moon Village Association, have prepared and issued for this present session of STSC, Conference Room Paper 18, on the need for the designation and preservation of sites of special scientific interests on the Moon. Thank you for your attention.

I thank the distinguished observer for the Committee on Space Research for this statement. We will continue our consideration of Agenda Item 3, General Exchange of Views, this afternoon. Distinguished delegates, I'd now like to continue and hopefully suspend our consideration of Agenda Item 10, Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities. The first speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of China. You have the floor.

Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, delegates. The Chinese government has always attached great importance to the long-term sustainability of outer space agenda and long supported various COPA activities in promoting this work. China commends Working Group Chair Mr. Womama Heshwaran Rao and the Secretariat for their hard work in compiling the information on the challenges raised by various parties into Thank you. Although views differ and consensus has yet to emerge on the important issues of constellation governance and space traffic coordination, the current work effectively brings together the various views and reflects different suggestions. That is an important basis for progress in the working group. Long-term sustainability of outer space activities is an evolving agenda. The increasing number of space activities has brought many major challenges. Outer space safety and development issues such as space debris and megaconstellations, among others, are still awaiting further consultations among various parties. China appreciates the fact that many countries have proposed a set of methods to identify unstudied challenges, consider new guidelines. Considering that implementation of the working group's work plan is more than halfway through and the LTS process has entered a critical phase, in subsequent discussions, China suggests that the working group create conditions for further in-depth consultations among various parties on the draft text of the new guidelines and select the most urgent and universal challenges from the challenges list to discuss and develop new guidelines. China is of the view that the current guidelines are legally non-binding and for voluntary implementation only by states, parties should be allowed to take measures to implement the guidelines. CNSA has been implementing the guidelines, improved its legal and regulatory framework to implement the guidelines and promote training courses. and improve the information sharing on the guidelines. Capacity building is an important path to achieve a mutual benefit and progress in countries. China has always been committed to international cooperation and exchange of experience in space activities, as well as science and technology. The International Lunar Research Station project The Chinese Space Station Open International Cooperation Project and various training courses of the UN Regional Center for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific, China, have attracted participation from various parties. The sustainability of outer space activities is of great significance to promoting the common development of human space endeavors. Countries should carry out a more open and inclusive cooperation and achieve, by fair, balanced, reasonable, and feasible space governance means, long-term mutually beneficial and win-win results in outer space. China will support and participate as always in the future work on LTS, constructively strengthen multilateral, regional, and bilateral dialogue, And while sharing and exchanging practical experience in LTS, further discuss with other countries issues brought about by new challenges and look forward to reaching new guidelines as soon as possible. China will, under the principles of peaceful use and mutually beneficial cooperation, work with other countries to build a community with a shared future for humanity in outer space and make new contributions contributions to promoting the progress of human civilization. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of China for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Austria. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, there's a growing awareness of the long-term sustainability of space. Recently, the Austrian Parliament issued a report on the environmental impact of space activities. The monitoring of this report is carried out by the Institute of Technology Assessment of the Austrian Academy of Sciences on behalf of the Parliament. The report emphasises the central role of satellite-based data in the fields of climate and environment, but also in the areas of mobility, energy, and banking. However, it is also pilots some problematic environmental impacts. These include well-known issues such as space debris, collision risks, reentry emissions, hazards from reentering rocket parts or broken satellites, and the impairment of astronomy. Other impacts that have recently— that have received less attention due to the relatively low launch density to date are equally important. These include ozone-depleting emissions such as from aluminium and chlorine in the upper atmosphere and significant greenhouse gas emissions from the vast quantities of fuel used in rocket launches, including CO2, water vapour, and soot particles. If we are to ensure the sustainable use of outer space, these unresolved issues must be addressed. Looking ahead, the Working Group on Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities is expected to produce its report by 2025, to be presented to the 36th session— excuse me, 63rd session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee in 2026. We extend our gratitude to the Chair of the Working Group for his tireless efforts. Austria supports the proposed structure and outline of this report, which aims to present consensus results and recommendations on future activities and work. Madam Chair, Austria has also contributed to assessing the challenges. We implement the guidelines through the Austrian Outer Space Act, which has been in force since 2011. In addition, we actively contribute to the European Union and the European Space Agency's programmes and initiatives. Austria participates in the EU Space Surveillance and Tracking Consortium and has signed both the ESA Zero Debris Charter and the Statement for a Responsible Space Sector. On guideline A3, I'm pleased to share a new development. The Federal Ministry for Climate Action is finalising a framework agreement with the European Space Agency. This agreement will secure ESA's technical support and expertise for Austria's national space authorisation process, leveraging ESA's unparalleled experience. Nonetheless, the Ministry will retain ultimate responsibility for authorisations. Finally, I'm delighted to inform that the Centre of Excellence for Space and Sustainability will be established at the European Space Policy Institute with the support of Austria and become operational this year. It will focus on developing interdisciplinary expertise on sustainable sustainability both on Earth and in space. Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential in this area. Austria encourages UNOOSA to cooperate with CSS and hopes that it can contribute to UNOOSA's efforts on long-term sustainability of outer space activities. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Austria for the statement. The next The next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Australia.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. Distinguished delegates, Australia is committed to the development and implementation of rules and norms that seek to support the safety, stability, and sustainability of outer space. The Guidelines for the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activity LTS Guidelines, provide an effective framework to support this outcome. Chair, Australia continues to undertake practical steps to implement the LTS Guidelines, including through legislation and policy, international engagement, and research and development activities. As an example, Australia implements elements of Australia is committed to ensuring that it implements the requirements of the LTS guidelines through its domestic regulatory framework for civil space activities, including under the Space Launches and Returns Act 2018 and associated rules. Australia is committed to the continuous improvement of our regulatory framework in consultation with our space sector and consistent with our international obligations. to these efforts, the Australian Government, through the Australian Space Agency, the agency, is developing an Australian Sustainability of Space Activities Policy. The policy aims to support the long-term viability of the Australian space sector so Australians can continue to benefit from space services for current and future generations. Development of the policy considers the environmental and social issues and opportunities for the sustainability of civil space activities in Australia and the role of the government and other stakeholders in addressing them. In 2024, the agency held public consultation to inform the development of the policy. The agency received responses from individuals and organisations across industry, academia, academia, government, and the public, and is considering this feedback as it continues to develop the policy. We look forward to updating delegations in due course. Australia, through the agency, was pleased to co-host the 30th annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum, APRSAP30, with Japan— with Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency in Perth from 26th to 29th November 2024. The theme of the forum was Collaborating to Build a Sustainable and Responsible Regional Space Sector, which was explored through a range of events including a plenary session on opportunities for a regional approach to space sustainability. The forum provided an opportunity to share information on activities relevant to the long-term sustainability of outer space, including with a view to raising awareness and supporting capacity building. Chair, Australia strongly supports the aims of the Working Group on the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities. We were pleased to engage in the recent intersessional meeting of the working group held on 12 and 13 November 2024 to enable further consultation on the identification and study of challenges and potential recommendations regarding the long-term sustainability of outer space activities. We note that there appears to be an emerging coalescence around some areas or themes that could be taken forward as potential future work in this area, and we look forward to discussing these further. We thank the Chair, as supported by the Secretariat, for convening this intersessional meeting and for preparing a draft report for the consideration of the Working Group. We look forward to productive exchanges, including with regard to potential recommendations to be included in the final report of the Working Group to be presented at the subcommittee next year. Australia continues to extend its full support to the chair, Mr. Umama Heshwaran of India, for his leadership of the working group. Chair, the sustainable use of space and supporting access to space is a global issue requiring a global response. Australia is committed to its international obligations and to continued engagement with the subcommittee to develop and implement rules and norms that support the safety, stability, and sustainability of outer space. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Australia for its statement. The next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Japan. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. Chair, distinguished Distinguished delegates, as the number of players in the space sector continues to grow, the importance of advancing the development and implementation of effective rules to ensure the safety, security, sustainability, and stability of outer space cannot be overemphasized. Japan encouraged member states and international organizations to fully implement the LTS guidelines built building on their adoption. In this regard, Japan highly recommends the professional and impartial work of Mr. Umahaswarwaran, Chair of the Working Group on the LTS of the Outer Space Activities, and its Secretariat. Japan remains committed to contributing to discussion to finalize the Working Group's report next year. Chair, I would like to begin by briefly outlining some examples of how Japan has been implementing the LTS guidelines. The LTS guidelines encourage the design of space objects in accordance with international and national space debris mitigation standards and guidelines to limit their long-term presence after the end of their missions. As stated in Japan's Basic Plan on Space Policy 2023, we promote research and development in the field of active debris removal. For example, JAXA and Japanese startup Astroscape are currently collaborating on the Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration CRD-2 project. In 2021, Japan established national on-orbit servicing guidelines, which prescribed requirements to ensure the safe, secure, and transparent execution of activities such as on-orbit servicing, including active debris removal. The COD2 project mentioned earlier adheres to these guidelines, with mission details published on the government website. By sharing technological advancement and operational best practices, Japan is aimed to foster international cooperation and strengthening rulemaking on debris mitigation and remediation measures. The LTS guidelines also emphasize international cooperation and capacity building. In this regard, Japan is cooperating with UNOSA on the Space Law for New Space Actors project to support Asia-Pacific countries establish national space legislation for responsible and sustainable As part of this initiative, Japan and UNOSA organized technical advisory missions in Manila in November 2024 and Bangkok in January 2025. Furthermore, Japan has been actively taking part in regional community building related to space policy and law initiatives, such as the National Space Legislation Initiative under the framework of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum. In 2023, during the 66th session of COPUS, Japan and National Space Legislation Initiative member countries jointly submitted the 2nd report on national space legislation, including the implementation status of the LDS guidelines in each each country. We are now working towards submitting a joint report to COPUOS in 2025. Chair, last but not least, Japan acknowledged the fruitful discussion during the UN Space Sustainability Days organized by UNOSA last week. We also noted those contributions from public and private sectors to accelerate the discussion on space traffic coordination and space traffic management. Japan is ready to support such effort in cooperation with member states to ensure the safety, security, sustainability, and stability of outer space. Thank you for your kind attention.

I thank the distinguished representative of Japan for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Canada. You have the floor.

Chair, distinguished delegates, Canada thanks the Chair, Mr. Umama Shiwaan, and the Secretariat for the commitment to support the work of the Long-Term Sustainability Working Group. We sincerely appreciate the non-paper produced by the chair to guide the intersessional discussion last November. The intersessional was a valuable opportunity to discuss the challenges identified by the working group using the chair's table as a guiding tool. While many issues were identified in the implementation of the guidelines, valuable insights were raised related to capacity building and the long-term sustainability of outer space activities. We also welcome the discussion on the format and content of the working group's draft report. Canada thanks the chair for producing a draft report so quickly following the intersessional discussion, which should enable a robust and detailed discussion during this STSD session. We also welcome the proposal to advance a middle way forward to build an agreement around the consensus report and a non-consensus annex. As outlined in A/AC.105/1258, the work plan of the current working group is scheduled to conclude in 2026 with the release of a final report, which includes information on and recommendations related to each of the group's 3 key elements. This STSD session is an opportunity to shape the final year of the work to ensure we move forward constructively in drafting the final report and begin considering a detailed approach to addressing the recommendations on future activity and work as indicated in the agreed work plan. During the 67th session of COPUS, the LTS Working Group agreed to undertake a challenge-led process using the chair's table to approach the discussion and recommend— of recommendations recommendations in a systematic and evidence-based fashion. And we see this as having resulted in an impressive compilation of member states' views. We recognize that with this significant amount of information comes with limited time to address it within the remaining remit of the current working group. The foundation of the final report and the recommendations on future activities and work should be a consensus basis-based outcome, as these recommendations will serve as the basis for a follow-up— follow-on work on LTS, which could include a future working group. The final report could also contain a non-consensus annex of suggested new challenges or emerging areas of interest for LTS, which would allow for a broader range of view that could be used to inform the development of proposals for potential new guidelines. Therefore, as part of the final report, we propose that the following could contribute to a basis of future activity and work. Discussion on and support for capacity-building opportunities should continue as key outcome of these working groups. Voluntary national implementation of the adopted guidelines should continue with the reporting and sharing of implementation practice via a UN repository. As previously discussed, and establishment of a new working group as the most pragmatic way to continue these important discussions and build on the recommendations made. With the growing challenge to the long-term sustainability of outer space environment and increasing dialogue on space sustainability across several forums, a future long-term sustainability working group would also ensure this important discussion continues within the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee. A future working group could consider organizing itself thematically to advance the key challenges to sustainability, particularly those outlined in the Pact of the Future, such as further addressing space debris mitigation and space traffic coordination. A follow-on long-term sustainability working group could provide the development of a future-focused framework to address the recommendations on novel activities and the residual work for— from LTS 2.0, with COPUSS being the central UN body for discussions on the peaceful use of space. Canada looks forward to engaging with member states over the course of this session to further discuss this proposal. Chair, as we can all agree, long-term sustainability of space activities is essential as space increasingly continues to provide services and benefits to all on Earth. In 2025, we are pleased to share that Canada will be the host of Space Operations 2025 from May 26th to 30th. The theme of the event is Towards Space Sustainability, and we encourage all delegations to attend this major event. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Canada for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of the Russian

Thank you very much, Chair.

Distinguished colleagues, good morning, everyone. Ensuring the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, or LTS, remains one of the most serious challenges to today's world, world— today's world, and requires a galvanizing of the international community. The Russian Federation has been an ongoing supporter on initiatives for creating conditions conducive to safe, long-term, and sustainable use of outer space for all space— all outer space actors. Our country, thanks to its longstanding experience of practical activities in the exploration of outer space, has stuck to the modalities which, in 2019, were set forth in the LTS guidelines developed by UN COPUOS and adopted by the UNGA. The implementation into the Russian Federation's regular regulatory framework of the LTS guidelines is to a great extent proactive, and that is because the national commercial segment of outer space activities is developing on an ongoing basis. We are thankful to the colleagues from other countries for the useful information regarding the application of the LTS guidelines. For our part, we will continue to share our ideas in this field. In our statements, many times we've said that in line— in addition to the implementation of the guidelines, we might possibly design new ones, and this is reflected in the mandate of of the Related Working Group. During the course of this work, we should select and consider LTS-impacting issues that are shared and pressing for all. Of particular attention should be aspects having to do with manned space flights and space stations, the provision of equitable access to LEO, as well as strengthening regulation The Russian Federation is of the view that the whole span of issues having to do with LTS include, first, elaborating legal norms obligating states and organizations to comply with international standards for risk minimization in outer space. Number 2, preventing from interference the operation of state-owned enterprises in outer space. Thank you. Owned space objects and infrastructure, including information-based. This requires legal regulation which would clearly define liability and would prohibit unlawful influence and would become part of international space law. Third, the active removal of objects and their safe destruction— and their safe Repurposing must be defined in line with the relevant legal criteria and procedures. This presupposes the developing of norms for accountability as well as rules which could be a basis for the creation of international legal mechanism with respect to space debris. Fourth, procedures for the safe For the safe— for the safe disposal of objects requires the formulation of norms and regal procedures for this in exceptional cases. This is an important part of the body of law aimed at ensuring the safety of outer space operations, as well as preventing threats for other space objects. Fifth, the application of norms and approaches to the designing of space devices, which necessitates legal— legally binding procedures and standards such that plans for space devices would take into account safety requirements and risk minimization for the generation of space debris. This is an important step for bringing together international requirements and standards. The Russian Federation would like to see a broadening of exchange of data on the orbital situation. This would include information on approaches, maneuvers, and possible incidents so as to minimize risks for all stakeholders. This topic, including the proposal to create an information platform under the UN, is indeed the topic of our WP disseminate during this STSC session. We underscore the importance of designing international legally binding legal norms and guidelines aimed at creating safe conditions for outer space activities and protecting outer space. Success in LTS is only possible taking into account the interests of all countries, including developing ones. The Russian Federation stands ready to engage in joint projects and initiatives to ensure equitable access to outer space and retaining it for future generations. We call upon all stakeholders in outer space activities to continue productive work on COPUOS and to actively support the implementation of LTS guidelines such that humanity as a whole can continue to use the opportunities offered by peaceful outer space.

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Italy. You have the floor.

Thank you.

Honorable Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, Italy has been a steadfast participant in developing the Long-Term Sustainability Guidelines adopted in 2019. Over the past year, the Italian delegation has closely monitored the group's efforts, significantly contributing to the compilation of the table elaborated in the working group. In this frame, Italy has emphasized the importance of capacity-building initiatives and fostering cooperation with emerging space nations to ensure sustainability of space activities for future generations. In line with its commitment to sustainable space activities, Italy has incorporated space-related objectives into the National Recovery and Resilience Plan financed through the European Union Recovery Fund in response to the pandemic. This plan dedicates substantial investments to the space sector, prioritizing advancements in satellite communications, Earth observation, and in the orbit economy. These initiatives not only drive technological innovation but also reinforce environmental responsibility and long-term sustainability. Furthermore, the Italian Parliament is about to adopt the nation's first comprehensive framework law on outer space activities and space economy. This legislation establishes clear regulations for private sector access to space, addresses existing regulatory gaps, and provides a structured roadmap for national space activities. It contains the required measures for the implementation of the UN space treaties, to which Italy is a signatory, considering its specific needs, in line with the recommendations contained in Resolution 68/74 of 2013 of the General Assembly on national legislation relevant to the peaceful exploration and and use of outer space. Furthermore, the draft bill establishes that in issuing authorization to private, um, to private operators, the following principles and criteria should be complied with: the safety of space activities in all its phases and aspects, from the design of space object and its components to the management of space activities, providing for a specific analysis of the impacts on safety, as well as an assessment of the light and radioelectric pollution resolution of space objects and the mitigation of space debris. The resilience of satellite infrastructure to cyber, physical, and interference risks, resulting in the ability to identify and manage space objects, detect incidents, ensure control of access rights, ensure asset protection. And last but not least, the environmental sustainability of space activities, through the verification of the environmental footprint of all activities carried out during the entire life cycle, from the design, development, and production phases to the operational and end-of-life phases. Yet, a key component of the law is the national, national plan for the space economy, which includes a dedicated space economy fund designed to foster market innovation through both public and private investments. From a technical standpoint, Italy is actively working to integrate the long-term sustainability guidelines sustainability principle into its national space programs. Additionally, we're investing in space situational awareness capabilities to enhance the monitoring and mitigation of potential collision risk, thereby strengthening the safety and sustainability of the space environment. As part of our international commitments, Italy contributes to the European Space Agency Space Safety Program, the European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking Framework, and the Interagency Space Debris Coordination Committee, reinforcing global efforts to ensure responsible and secure space operations. In light of the foregoing, Italy advocates for joint projects and information-sharing platforms among spacefaring and emerging space nations to promote best practices in sustainable space operations, to support emerging space nations in building the necessary infrastructure and expertise fostering the responsible use of space. While lunar exploration exploration might still be a distant goal for many emerging nations, it is crucial that they engage with its guiding principles and contribute to their development. To this end, Italy remains dedicated to promoting the Artemis Accords, ensuring that all nations, regardless of their level of space development, have a voice in shaping the future of space exploration. Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, the Italian delegation reaffirms its commitment to working collaboratively, collaboratively, sorry, with all member states to ensure the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, outer space activities within the UN COPOS framework. Together, we can navigate the challenges ahead and secure a prosperous and sustainable future for all humankind. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Italy for her statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of the United Arab Emirates. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. Distinguished delegates, the United Arab Emirates recognizes and supports the efforts of all member states and the Working Group of the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities, as well as the implementation of the Long-Term Sustainability Guidelines of Outer Space Activities. The UAE recognizes that the long-term sustainability of outer space activities activity is a matter of growing concern and urgency. The significantly increased use of space in recent years, which is expected to double in the coming years, obligates all of us to bear the responsibility of preserving outer space as a stable, safe, and sustainable environment. Our national space policy emphasizes sustainability as a core principle. The UAE has taken several measures in alignment with the LTS guidelines, including developing national regulations that govern space activities, ensuring they comply with international standards for safety, debris mitigation, and the responsible use of the space environment. In addition to promoting awareness and capacity-building initiatives aimed at fostering a culture of sustainability in space. Through the Abu Dhabi Space Debate, we have created a platform to discuss pressing issues, including sustainability, accessibility, and security, bringing together diverse stakeholders to identify collective solutions. Chair, with the increase of objects orbiting Earth, space situational awareness became a priority in ensuring the safety and long-term sustainability of outer space activities. As a contribution, the United Arab Emirates submitted a conference room paper entitled Proposal for the Establishment of an Expert Group on Space Situational Awareness. The UAE held informal consultations on the margins of the current session with the objective of allowing a more in-depth examination and consultation of the proposal. The UAE notes the importance of continuing the discussion on this proposal, and in light of the views expressed during the informal consultations, the UAE proposes the inclusion of the following text in the report of the committee. The committee had before it a conference Conference Room paper entitled Proposal for the Establishment of an Expert Group on Space Situational Awareness, submitted by the United Arab Emirates. Some delegations welcomed the proposal to establish an expert group on space situational awareness contained in CRP 20. In noting the importance of the matter, highlighted the desirability to have further sessions with a view to refining the proposal for a decision by the committee at its 68th session regarding the establishment of an expert group. The subcommittee noted with appreciation that the United Arab Emirates would hold informal consultation on this matter in the intersessional period facilitated by the Secretariat. Chair, we remain committed promoting space sustainability and looks forward to continued collaboration to advance these goals. My country recognizes that success is a result of collective international efforts, and we are committed to continuing these efforts in close cooperation with all member states. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the United Arab Emirates for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of South Africa. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. Madam Chair, South Africa believes that activities pertaining to long-term sustainability, sustainability of outer space cut across all aspects of UN corpus work. The issue of long-term sustainability remains key as activities in outer space continue to increase. Madam Chair, we acknowledge the work of all delegations in reaching agreement on the terms of reference, method of work, and the 5-year work plan of the Working Group on the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities. We look forward to the deliberations of the Working Group during this session and express our confidence in Mr. Omama Eshwaran of India as the chair of the working group to take this work forward during this session. As a developing country, South Africa is cognizant that the outer space activities are essential tools for realizing the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. The long-term sustainability of outer space activities are important for current and emerging participants in space activities, particularly the developing countries. South Africa is particularly encouraged by the focus of the work plan on sharing experiences, practices, and lessons learned from voluntary national implementation of the adopted guidelines and raising awareness and enhancing capacity, particularly among emerging space nations and developing countries. Chair, South Africa supports the working group on the long-term sustainability as a continuation of the adopted '21 LTS guidelines, which could be addressed on 2 non-parallel streams for policy and regulatory matters while addressing the operational and technical methods for compilation of the best practices aspect pertaining to implementation of the guidelines regarding the safety and sustainability of space operation. International cooperation, raising awareness and capacity, and are integral components of the work and remain the cornerstone of the full implementation of these guidelines. As an nation reliant on space-based services for socioeconomic growth, South Africa supports international efforts to mitigate space debris, ensure equitable access, and uphold space as a shared resource. We emphasize the importance of long-term sustainability of outer space activity— activities, including the safety of space operation. South Africa wishes to reiterate the that the LTS guideline should not create a barrier for developing nations in conducting their own outer space activities, but rather mitigate any unintended risk through adequate capacity building as an integral part of the, of the guidelines. We hope the adoption and implementation of the guidelines will provide the required assurances that future generations will continue to enjoy all enjoy the benefits of outer space activities. South Africa wishes the chair of the working group success in implementing— in maintaining the momentum of the working— of the work of the committee and urges all members to work together in advancing the objectives of the working group in the implementation of the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines and the 2021 agreed guidelines of the LTS. Chair, South Africa looks forward to the report of the working group, which should address the compilation of national implementation efforts of, of the 2021 guidelines of the LTS guidelines by member states and international organizations with permanent observer status. It should also be at a major It— go back to— it should also look at measures to address challenges identified and related studies of possible new guidelines for long-term sustainability of outer space activities. I thank you, Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of South Africa for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the— The next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of the Republic of Korea. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Republic of Korea, like other member states, is fully committed to supporting international efforts to implement the Preamble and 21 Guidelines for the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities. The rapid increase in space objects and the growing complexity of space activities activities over the past decade have posed significant challenges for all nations. Recognizing the urgent need for robust regulatory frameworks to mitigate risks and ensure the safe, secure, and sustainable use of outer space, the Republic of Korea is eager to share its experiences and learn from others. This collaborative approach will enable us to effectively incorporate these guidelines into our legal frameworks and policies. To support these goals, we have undertaken concrete measures to enhance the sustainability of outer space activities. One of our key initiatives is the establishment of the Korean Integrated Space Situational Awareness System, which will enable the identification, detection, and tracking of space objects. The system underscores our commitment to promoting safe and secure space operations. Furthermore, under the 4th Space Development Promotion Basic Plan, the Republic of Korea has significantly increased investments in advanced technologies focused on mitigating and remediating space debris, aligning with global efforts to address this pressing issue. Recognizing the importance of engaging a broad range of stakeholders, we have actively worked to raise awareness and foster collaboration among startups, academic institutions, and space entities. To this end, we hosted 4 national conferences on space sustainability last year in collaboration with Korean academic societies. These events provided a platform to promote voluntary adherence to the LTS guidelines and encourage dialogue on best practices among multi-stakeholders for sustainable space activities. Madam Chair, we would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the chair of the LTS Working Group, Mr. Umama Heswaran, and the Secretariat for their dedicated efforts. We have actively participated in the international meetings last November and remain committed to to advancing this critical work. We believe that sharing experiences and best practices among member states is a key approach to collectively, collectively address the pressing challenges of space sustainability. Furthermore, we hope that this working group will reach substantive and meaningful conclusions and lay the groundwork for the next steps. The Republic of Korea reaffirms its commitment to the long-term sustainability of outer space. We will continue playing a responsible role in preserving the benefits of outer space for future generations. Thank you, Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Republic of Korea for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of France. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Chair, delegates, work on the long-term sustainability of outer space activities are a long-standing priority for France, and I would once again like to welcome the commitment expressed by Dr. Umama Heswaran and the Office of Outer Space Affairs. France will continue to encourage all space nations to adopt and then implement the 21 guidelines. We would like to invite all nations to support these guidelines and to have sufficient national regulation and also share their experience regarding implementation in a spirit of cooperation for free use of space for all in line with the international framework. Chair, we are facing major challenges as concerns long-term sustainability of outer space activities, with a rapid increase in the orbital population and space traffic. Every 6 months, 1,000 new satellites are placed in orbit, which is the equivalent of the first 50 years of the Space Age. This tendency looks set to continue with the development of large constellations. To avoid any catastrophic collisions in orbit, we recommend a concrete Pragmatic and gradual approach. We already have several space monitoring systems thanks to the gathering of information on space objects and events in orbit. Coordination between these systems, in particular EUSST, the European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking, and TRACS in the US, Traffic Coordination System for Space, are a concrete approach which should allow us to gradually respond to this urgent need. Secondly, we might look towards a development towards a global space traffic coordination mechanism under the aegis of the UN on the— under the International Committee on GNSS model, which encourages and facilitates the exchange of information and interoperability between civilian satellite navigation systems. That's why in a position document France, along with Canada, Chile, Spain, and the UK, has called for the continuation of the Working Group after the end of its mandate in 2026. Chair, space debris is another major challenge. We have formulated 3 proposals in order to limit the creation of debris and Taking inspiration from our national law on space operations. Firstly, setting a maximum length of time after which the deorbiting of satellites should be effective, which is proportional to the lifespan of the satellite. Secondly, compulsory subscription to an anti-collision service. This would be within the framework of a partnership on the monitoring of space made up of 15 member states of the EU, the EU SST, and through this France provides a public analysis service about risks of collision which is open to operators the world over. Finally, linked to this anti-collision service, the notification of manoeuvres should be facilitated. This is why we support the drafting of a concise, pragmatic and operational report including substantive recommendations which will allow us to continue Thank you. Chair, in this new session, France would like to recall our willingness to underscore the central role of COPUOS in defining the key policies on a multilateral level on the peaceful use of outer space, which should guide the technical work undertaken by regulatory bodies. This should be in line with multilateral action on these topics. Also, to pragmatically tackle the challenges linked to the impact of large constellations, including on astronomic activity. And finally, to encourage private actors to join the multilateral process and to support competitiveness and capacity for innovation among companies that provide solutions solutions that allow us to respond to challenges linked to the long-term sustainability of space activities. France will continue to make pragmatic proposals drawn from our regulatory and operational experience.

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of France for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Malaysia. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Malaysia recognizes and supports the discussion on implementing the Guidelines for the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities and expresses our commitment to voluntary implementation of the guidelines in accordance with our National Space Policy 2030 and Malaysian Spaceport Act 2022. Malaysia is committed to improving our national practice in ensuring space activity safety, security, and sustainability. Malaysia believes that sharing knowledge, experience, best practice, and lessons learned among member states is pivotal to supporting capacity building and awareness implementing the LTS guideline. On 17 December 2024, Malaysian government gazetted the Malaysian Spaceport Regulation, ensuring the Malaysian Spaceport Act 2022 enters full force on 1 January 2025 to regulate space activities. This act will not only regulate our national space activities but also enable Malaysia to fulfill its international obligation and accede to the international space treaties, thereby contributing to the long-term sustainability of outer space. Madam Chair, Malaysia would like to inform you that our effort toward the national ratification process of the Treaty on the Principles Governing the Activities of States in Exploring and use of outer space, including the Moon and outer celestial body, and the Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space, is still ongoing and on track. To ensure the safety, security, and sustainability of outer space activities, especially launch activities, Malaysia has released the feasibility studies guideline for the development of launching facility in Malaysia in November 2023. These guidelines act as a reference and guidance for the industry, as well as an input for pre-planning to ensure that all space-related activities are carried out in a proper manner in accordance with the international law and standards. To conclude, Malaysia recognizes the importance of international cooperation in overcoming the challenges of ensuring the long-term sustainability of outer space. Therefore, Malaysia reiterates demonstrates its commitment to implementing the LTS guideline and supporting the work of the LTS working groups. Malaysia looks forward to further engagement in the discussion to improve the LTS guidelines and ensure a sustainable future for the outer space.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Malaysia for his statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Singapore. You have the floor.

The next is the United States.

Chair, Singapore extends our appreciation to the Secretariat and the LTS Working Group for their dedication in advancing the long-term sustainability of outer space activities. On our part, we have expressed on many occasions our strong support for the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities. We believe that these guidelines are vital for safeguarding the sustainable use of outer space for the benefit of all humankind. In outer space, not all Member States are at the same starting line. Developing countries and emerging spacefaring nations lag behind established spacefaring nations in terms of resourcing, experience, and capabilities. International collaboration and capacity building will therefore be critical ensuring that these countries are able to implement the LTS Guidelines and ensure inclusivity and equity in the global space ecosystem. In this vein, Singapore also supports the development of future guidelines that consider the specific challenges and priorities that developing countries and emerging spacefaring nations face, which would in tandem enable their full participation in space activities while ensuring space sustainability goals are met. Space situational awareness is another key area that countries large and small can work on together. In October 2024, Singapore convened a Space Policy Workshop under the ASEAN Subcommittee on Space Technology and Applications, which brought together experts from organisations such as the World Economic Forum and LeoLabs to explore critical issues related to space situational awareness. We thank the Chair of the LTS Working Group, Mr. Umama Heswaran, for his participation, which underscored the importance of such initiatives in advancing responsible space practices and promoting global cooperation. Chair, distinguished delegates, Singapore firmly believes that the long-term sustainability of outer space activities is a shared responsibility. We call on all nations to work together to ensure that space remains a domain of opportunity for all. As a committed and constructive member of the international space community, Singapore stands ready to contribute actively to global efforts that promote sustainable and responsible space practices. Thank you, Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Singapore for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Brazil. You have the floor.

Thank you very much. Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, space applications increasingly underpin our economy, logistics, scientific and technological development. The increased use of outer space, however, must be carried out in a sustainable manner, with due regard to equitable access to benefits, intergenerational justice, and environment protection. Space is the common province of humankind. It's our responsibility to safeguard exploration and use for future, future generations. Madam Chair, Brazil reiterates its firm support to the Guidelines for the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities and to its continued review and enhancement under the Working Group on the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space The Working Group in the Core Platform to identify— is the core platform to identify and address emerging challenges to space sustainability and ensure that space activities are conducted in a safe, orderly, and equitable manner. Bridging gaps towards building consensus in the Working Group is of paramount importance, and the consolidation of national contributions contained in the working table proposed by the Chair will enable us to move forward with stronger and more inclusive recommendations. Madam Chair, Brazil places particular emphasis on the protection of scientific and satellite services, as well as the sustainability of global telecommunications systems. The exponential growth in the number of satellites in low Earth orbit, driven by megaconstellations, poses critical challenges such as the increased risk of collisions, the proliferation of space debris, and harmful interference in radio and satellite services vital for communication, Earth observation, and remote sensing. In this context, we underscore the importance of the Dark and Quiet Skies Initiative, which seeks to protect dark and quiet skies that are essential for radio astronomy and other scientific scientific activities. The proliferation of satellite trails and radio frequency interference negatively impacts space science, including astronomical research and critical services such as climate monitoring and Earth exploration satellite services. It's crucial that COPUOS, through its subcommittees and the work on the LTS Working Group, addresses these impacts, including through the development of novel regulatory frameworks and cooperation mechanisms. Brazil further emphasized the importance of cooperation between COPUS and the ITU while respecting the specific mandates of each organization. The synergy between these 2 entities is fundamental to advancing integrated and effective solutions that benefit the entire international community. Brazil, through its telecommunication regulatory body, ANATEL, implements regulations aligned with international best practices. This regulatory framework establishes state-of-the-art technical and operational requirements, promoting the efficient use of spectrum and orbital slots, as well as preventing harmful interference. In addition, Brazil, also through Anatel, has launched a public consultation process to collect contributions and suggestions on measures to promote the long-term sustainability of orbital and spectrum resource management in line with the COPU's guidelines. Through this consultation, Brazil aims to gather stakeholders' perspectives on the importance of sustainability and to encourage satellite operators to adopt sustainable practices. The insights obtained will inform Brazil's future regulatory revisions, further strengthening the alignment of our national policy with international space sustainability standards. In conclusion, Madam Chairman, we would like to reiterate the importance of promoting and safeguarding the equitable and inclusive participation of developing nations in space activities. The accelerated and uncoordinated occupation of orbital slots may restrict access to space for these nations, perpetuating global inequalities. We strongly support initiatives and mechanisms that promote the fair and sustainable use of outer space so all countries can benefit from the opportunities provided by space technologies. Distinguished delegates, Madam Chair, thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Brazil for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of India. You have the floor.

Madam Chair and distinguished delegates, India has always been a strong advocate of peaceful and sustainable utilization of outer space and contributes to the efforts of Working Group on Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities through sharing experiences, best practices, and lessons learned from the voluntary national implementation of the adopted LTS guidelines. Madam Chair, in line with the Indian Space Policy 2023, the norms, guidelines, and procedures has been brought out by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center in 2024. These norms, guidelines, and procedures includes criteria for granting authorization of space activities specifically related to space situational awareness and long-term sustainability. India regularly submits information on Indian space objects including those re-entering the atmosphere or undergoing significant orbital relocation, to the UN as per the Registration Convention. ISRO System for Space and Sustainable Space Operations Management considers the efforts to ensure the safety and sustainability of the Indian space activities. Madam Chair, apart from the collision avoidance analysis for launch vehicles and satellites with other space objects, the required coordination and data exchanges are carried out for spaceflight safety to resolve any close conjunction between Indian space assets and other active satellites. We highlight a few recent measures undertaken towards better compliance with the internationally accepted guidelines on space debris mitigation. SCATSAT-1, a low Earth orbit small satellite, was deorbited to reduce its orbital lifetime, completely depleting the residual fuel in the process. For PSLV-2, SLV-C58 and C60 missions, the upper stages were deorbited to 350 kilometers so that their post-mission orbital life is limited to only a few months. For all other rocket stages launched during the year 2024, the post-mission orbital life is expected to be less than 10 years. After payload injection, all of the upper stages were passivated to minimize post-mission breakup risk. Madam Chair, India contributes significantly to the Long-Term Sustainability Working Group deliberations. Given the skyrocketing space traffic, there is an alarming increase in the number of space objects transiting the orbital region around 400-kilometer altitude, which is preferred for human spaceflight. In an earlier submitted CRP, India proposed to introduce a new LTS guideline for conducting space activities in the vicinity of this 400-kilometer region to mitigate potential risks to human missions. We request other members to pursue this proposal and look forward to their support. Madam Chair, for a highly dynamic outer space landscape, preserving the long-term sustainability is imperative to effectively harness its immense potential for peaceful utilization and to improve the quality of life for all humanity. India looks forward to continued exchange of views, sharing of experiences and lessons learned during the implementation of LTS guidelines with other member states and contribute to charting a roadmap to undeterred sustainable space activities. Thank you, Madam Chair, and distinguished delegates.

I thank the distinguished representative of India for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran. You have the floor.

Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, according to well-established principles Of international space law, outer space is the province of all humankind, implying that no entity or power can restrict access to space or prevent the conduct of peaceful activities therein. Additionally, space is regarded as common heritage of humankind, akin to any other precious natural resources, and must therefore be preserved for present and future generations in this. Spirit of awareness, accountability, and collective responsibility. In this regard, we firmly believe that many of the challenges in outer space governance today stem from unilateral and exclusive interests taking precedence over shared global priorities. A close examination of emerging challenges and current practices reveals that space sustainability is a complex issue encompassing technical, operational, governance, political, and financial dimensions. Addressing these interconnected challenges requires a multifaceted and balanced approach. One of the most pressing concerns is that outer space is becoming increasingly congested with active satellites and megaconstellations, contaminated by space debris, and increasingly an alarming alarmingly becoming competitive among state and private and commercial actors. Based on numerous analytical reports, the proliferation of long-lived debris, long-lived orbital debris, has been identified as one of the most critical threats to sustainable space activities, particularly in low orbit, low Earth orbit. Alarmingly, the emergence of megaconstellations will remain under-regulated, pose the risk of consuming most, if not all, of LEO's carrying capacity, low Earth orbit carrying capacity, a resource that should be equitably shared among all nations and actors. Outer space is often recognized as a global common, meaning that it is a non-exclusive excludable and non-rivalrous resources. No single state or group of states hold monopolized access to space. Preventing a tragedy of the commons requires a robust commitment to sustainable management of shared space resources. A particularly pressing concern is the first-come, first-served approach in orbital allocation, which risks allowing a small number of actors unrestricted access to finite, valuable orbital resources, leading to overuse and depletion. This inequitable practice must be addressed through a coordinated international regulatory mechanism. The increasing involvement of commercial entities in critical space operations such as on-orbit servicing, debris removal, and close proximity inspection necessitates strong state oversight to ensure responsible conduct. From a technical perspective, developing the necessary capabilities for space sustainability, including space object monitoring, collisions avoidance, post-mission disposal, and satellite shielding, remains costly and challenging for emerging spacefaring nations. Therefore, technical assistance and capacity building from advanced spacefaring nations are essential to ensuring equitable participation in space activities. Another major concern is the growing geopolitical divide that could destabilize space security, safety, and sustainability. Any such development threatens the peaceful use of outer space and necessitates urgent confidence-building measures at the international level. Madam Chair, we firmly believe that sustainability objectives must not be limited to Earth orbit, but should also be extended to exploration and resource utilization on celestial bodies, including the Moon and asteroids. This underscores the need for responsible and cooperative frameworks to guide future space activities beyond Earth's vicinity. The Islamic Republic of Iran calls upon all member states to uphold their collective responsibility to preserve outer space for the benefit of all humankind. In this way— in the same vein, we wish to stress on first recognizing the finite nature of Earth's orbits and the electromagnetic spectrum. It is Thank you very much. First, it is imperative to ensure their equitable, efficient, and rational use considering the interests of developing countries. We must consider orbital carrying capacity limits. Second, urgent action is required to prevent a tragedy of the commons in space. Constructive efforts should be made to promote the sustainability of outer space and prevent the overexploitation and shared space resources. Third, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation that guarantees equitable, inclusive, and non-exclusive participation of all states in space sustainability. To prevent fragmentation in our space activity, we advocate for adherence to multilateral approaches under the auspices of the United Nations and COPUSS. Before concluding, In concluding my statement, I would be remiss if I did not express my sincere appreciation for the exemplary leadership of Mr. Emama Eshawaran, Chairman of the LTS Working Group, in guiding the consultation with professionalism and dedication. We remain fully committed to supporting this process and will spare no effort in contributing to its success. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Mr.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Switzerland. You have the floor.

Madame la Présidente, l'engagement de la Suisse en faveur—

Chair, Switzerland's commitment to the sustainable and responsible use of outer space is a field of action under the strategic axis called Access and Resilience of Switzerland's Space Policy for 2023. Allowing future generations to fully profit from the advantages offered by space is one of its ambitions. Indeed, various Swiss actors contribute to the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, whether these are public, private, or academic actors. Their activities are part of— fall under the LTS guidelines adopted in 2019. Allow me to give you a few examples. Training modules in the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne and the Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich dedicated to the sustainability of space activities. Secondly, activities at the University of Bern and its Zimmerwald Observatory in observing and characterising space debris, as well as the development of the Space Safety Expert Centre operated in conjunction with the European Space Agency. Thirdly, setting up a consortium space weather, led by the University of Bern and the Physics and Weather Observatory in Davos, the PMOD. And then fourthly, the development of technologies for actively removing debris and in-orbit services with commercial ends by ClearSpace SA with ESA and other international On a federal level, a preliminary bill for space law entered into public consultation at the end of January. This includes concerns linked to the safety of space operations and to preserving the space and terrestrial environment, with the goal of avoiding the creation of space debris as much as possible. as much as possible. Switzerland, since its beginnings in 2010, has participated in the work on the long-term sustainability of space activity. We have contributed to the development and adoption of the 21 LTS guidelines in 2019. The Swiss delegation would like to warmly thank Mr. Uma Maheshwaran, from India and Ms. Koozen from the Secretariat for their excellent work as President— or rather Chair and Secretary of the Second Working Group on LTS. With the end of the mandate approaching and the beginning of the consideration of its final report, we believe it's essential that this report reflect the substance of the discussions and the contributions presented. While at this stage it's probably not possible to develop new guidelines, my delegation believes that at least we should be able to agree on matters for future consideration and, if possible, the mechanisms for work that would go along with these. In terms of the subjects, Switzerland supposes those proposed in Part A of the Annex to CRP 14 presented by Canada, Chile, Spain, France, and the UK. Regarding the structure of future work, this, we believe, should be further discussed and should be linked to the goals set out, which we also need to reach agreement on before. Finally, regarding recommendations linked to the implementation of the 21 lines of conduct adopted, letter B, paragraph 9 of the mandate, or those linked to strengthening capacities, letter C, paragraph 9 of the mandate, we believe that the list of 7 categories identified by the President in paragraph 7 of document L419 perfectly cover the variety of subjects brought up by delegations when they talked about challenges and recommendations. Therefore, we think it should be possible to identify consensual recommendations in each of these 7 categories. Finally, an annex could bring together the challenges identified and the recommendations made by States which have not been agreed upon. This annex would be very useful as a base of information looking towards future work. In conclusion, Madam Chair, we believe it's essential that this 2nd LTS Working Group doesn't finish its work empty-handed. At a time when the situation in orbit is evolving at a dizzying rate, members of COPU us cannot afford to meet in vain and should look beyond any geopolitical divides. Thank you.

Switzerland for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Germany. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, as we noted in our general statement already, the Working Group of the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities is entering its final stretch. This year, we'll begin our work on the draft report of the Working Group, which will provide information and recommendations on the 3 elements of its mandate. We will also begin to consider future activities and areas of work under this agenda item. Last year, we spent a considerable amount of time discussing working methods and procedural approaches, and this has come at the expense of substantive debates. With 2 more sessions to go before the work plan expires, we hope that we can conduct focused exchanges on the substantive issues of this working group so that next year we can finalize a thorough report that adequately reflects the amount of work and efforts of each delegation throughout the past years. During the intersessional meeting in November of last year, the chair of the working group produced a non-paper that contained, among other things, a list of repeated themes and possible grouping of groupings of ideas on challenges, challenges based on the input provided by members of the working group. This list was well received and highly appreciated, and it also reflected some of the themes that Germany has raised in various contributions over the past years, such as focus on sustainability aspects of large constellations, better information sharing and coordination between space actors, spacecraft maneuvering and collision avoidance, as well as active debris removal. We believe that this list provides a good basis to start our work at this session. Madam Chair, our discussions under this agenda item and in the working group this year take place in the context of a broader recognition that more action is necessary to address the growing number of objects in space and the question of how to approach this high amount of space traffic as well as the associated lack of information and space situational awareness. The importance of a framework for space debris and space traffic was recognized in the Pact for the Future, which states that the growth in the number of objects in space, among other issues, demands urgent action. This is also linked to our discussion on future activities and areas of work on LTS. Germany has always viewed the 21 LTS guidelines as a important building blocks in an international approach to space traffic, and we strongly believe that the STSC should play a role in defining how the international community addresses space traffic at the global level. We therefore welcome a number of proposals raised during the session for mechanism for SSA and global STC. And will play a constructive role in choosing the best path forward. We hope that at the upcoming next COPU session, a decision can be made on the establishment of an expert group on space situational awareness within the STSC, as proposed by the United Arab Emirates, so as to timely start substantial work in the 63rd session of the subcommittee. We would welcome intersessional meetings facilitated by UNOSA and moderated by the United Arab Emirates to prepare us for upcoming COPUSS session. Space traffic will be the central issue in the coming years. And we believe that COPUSS and its 2 subcommittees are the best place to address it at a global level. On this note, I would also like to, uh, take this opportunity and announce that SB and the German Space Agency will host an evening event on shaping an effective framework for space traffic. This event will take place next Monday at 18:30, and we look forward to welcoming many of you there. Thank you for your attention.

I thank the distinguished representative of Germany for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Indonesia. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Indonesia continues to support the discussion of the implementation of a long-term sustainability of Outer Space Activities Guidelines and has participated in the reviewing and providing inputs on the tables contained in the non-paper submitted by the Chair dated 19 June 2024. In this regard, Indonesia encourages more international discussion to produce concrete recommendations for several issues of long-term sustainability of outer space activities. Including special responsibilities of launching states related to uncontrolled reentries of space objects. Indonesia also observes the lack of required data, information, knowledge, technologies, and infrastructure are challenges in the implementation and application of long-term sustainability guidelines. Therefore, Indonesia supports more collaboration between member states and other stakeholders such as industries and academia to promote the development and use of techniques and methods to improve knowledge. Lastly, Indonesia is of the view that capacity building related to standardization and methods in monitoring space debris and near-Earth objects for space disaster mitigation is absolutely needed. We also encourage more cooperation between member states on research and the sustainability of space exploration with the full support of developed countries. Indonesia stands ready to develop such cooperation. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Indonesia for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished Distinguished representative of Morocco, you have the floor.

Merci, Madame la Présidente.

Thank you, Chair. Madame Chair, the Kingdom of Morocco recognizes the crucial importance of space situational awareness, or SSA, and space traffic coordination, or STC, to ensure the safety and sustainability of space activities. Given the constantly growing number of actors and objects in space, as well as the increasing complexity of space operations, it is essential that we strengthen international cooperation in this field. Therefore, the initiative proposed by the UAE aiming to establish a group of experts on SSA under the framework of COPUUS could play an essential role in facilitating dialogue and information exchange between states, international organizations, and private actors. By promoting the development of best practices and shared regulations in terms of SSA, this group would help to strengthen the safety of space operations operations, to prevent collisions, and also to reduce the risks linked to space debris. Aware of the challenges posed by orbital congestion and the proliferation of space debris, Morocco believes that the creation of this expert group is an important step towards more responsible and sustainable management of space. Thank you very much, Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Morocco for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Mexico. You have the floor. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Egypt.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, Egypt welcomes ongoing discussions on updating and reviewing states' members' experiences on LTS guidelines, and we affirm its continued efforts to voluntarily apply these guidelines based on its national priorities. Egypt also appreciates India's leadership in driving the discussions on the LTS Working Group and the efforts of Mr. Umama Hersuwanen, and looks forward to a balanced report of its recommendations and the way forward that should safeguard the voluntary, practical, and operational nature of these guidelines, and equally important, cater for the needs and support for developing countries therein. Madam Chair, Egypt believes that any endeavor to explore and utilize outer space must adhere to the principles and objectives objectives of international law, UN treaties, including the Outer Space Treaty. All outer space activities have to be coordinated under the auspices of the UN in order to be inclusive, universal, and consensual, and aim to benefit us all. Outer space is a common heritage of humankind and a common asset that belongs to humanity as a whole. The COPUSS, with its 2 subcommittees, is the only specialized multilateral forum under the auspices of the and General Assembly that has a clear mandate to comprehensively address all matters related to peaceful uses of outer space. Egypt also notes the increased role of non-governmental organizations in space activities and reiterates the relevance of Article 6 of the OST in this regard, particularly the responsibility of state parties to the treaty for national activities in outer space and the activities of non-governmental organizations in outer space. Space shall require authorization and continued supervision by the appropriate state party to the treaty. Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, addressing the growing challenge of space debris is critical to ensuring the long-term sustainability of outer space, particularly for developing countries striving to establish their presence in this domain. The increasing congestion of Earth's orbits with defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, and fragmentation poses significant risks to operational spacecraft, endangering the progress of nations with emerging space programs that lack the resources to mitigate such threats. Therefore, Egypt believes that it is imperative that the global community adopts measures to safeguard the space environment, including establishing innovative financial compensation framework for damages incurred to space objects of developing nations. One potential mechanism to explore is a levy or insurance system whereby major spacefaring nations, non-traditional donors, and private sector space actors contribute to a fund that supports affected states and potentially finances active debris removal initiatives. Such mechanism and fund can be administered by the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs By integrating such measures into a broader governance of space activities, we can promote a fair, sustainable future where all nations, regardless of their economic standing, can access and benefit from opportunities that space offers. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Egypt for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished observer from the International Telecommunication Union. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair, distinguished delegates. I'm honored to address the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of COPUOS to present to you the progress of the International Telecommunication Union activities related to space sustainability. Madam Chair, in the latest ITU-R Working Party 4A report, it is indicated that the sustainable use of radio frequency spectrum and associated non-GSO satellite orbit resources by space radio communication services may be defined as the ability to maintain the use indefinitely into the future in a manner that respects the status as limited natural resources which must be used rationally, efficiently, economically, in conformity with the provisions of the radio regulations and realizes the objectives of equitable access. Madam Chair, in response to the Resolution ITU-R 74 and the decisions of World Radio Communication Conference 2023, and in accordance with Resolutions 219 and 218 of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, the ITU EU started to implement the decisions made by the member states for the 2024-27 study cycle with 5 activities. The ITU-R Study Group IV on satellite services progressed in 2024 on the creation of a handbook on best practices for the sustainable use of frequencies and associated non-GSO orbits by space radio communication services. The best practices may be grouped into the same 4 categories as the guidelines for the long-term sustainability of the outer space activities of the COPUOS. The contributions to the next session in May 2025 can be submitted to the ITU-R. The ITU-R Study Group 4 also agreed on the development of another handbook on satellite communications and technologies that will cover fixed satellite service, broadcast satellite service, mobile satellite service, and radio determination satellite service. The handbook may also describe space debris mitigation mechanisms, including current space laws and ITU-R recommendations. A preliminary table of contents is available. Contributions submission is open to IQR members. Other organizations or entities can manifest their interest by providing their contact details to the handbook editor and to the Study Group 4 counselor. In addition to these 2 handbooks, as instructed, the Radio Communication Bureau developed a web portal dedicated to Space Sustainability Code ITU Space Sustainability Gateway. It is already contributing to dissemination and exchange of relevant information and both among space stakeholders. The Bureau receives contributions of links to material with a view to enhance usefulness and compressiveness of the portal. And at the Union level, the ITU started to raise awareness and led a forum dedicated to space sustainability on 10th and 11th September 2024, together space actors and ITU delegates, to exchange views on how they wish ITU to envisage space sustainability. In addition to the organization of a second forum, ITU also launched in 2025 the ITU Space Connect virtual monthly activity. This initiative is designed to raise awareness on key aspects of space sustainability from the spectrum and orbits resources perspective. The forums and the virtual series are available to all public. Madam Chair, in closing, ITU intends to contribute to advance the long-term sustainable use of the spectrum and orbit resources and looks forward to a continued collaboration towards a sustainable future in space. Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, thank you for your attention.

I thank the distinguished observer for the International Telecommunication Union for the statements. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished observer from Secure World Foundation. You have the floor. Would you please turn on the microphone?

Apologies, Madam Chair, the microphone was not operating. Madam Chair, distinguished delegates and observers, on behalf of Secure World, And as the former chair of the LTS Working Group 1.0, I appreciate this opportunity to offer some observations on how we might take forward some of the ideas envisaged in the already adopted LTS guidelines. As delegations are aware, last autumn saw the successful completion of the UN Summit for the Future, a multilateral process that resulted in the further clarification of this committee's mandate in the adoption of the UN-wide Pact for the Future. Action 56 of the Pact for the Future encourages states to discuss the establishment of new frameworks for space traffic, space debris, and space resources through the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. We are all aware of the rapidly increasing congestion in space and the urgent need to enhance space traffic coordination. The LTS guidelines emphasize the importance of information sharing on space objects and orbital events for the safety of space operations. LTS Guideline B1 calls upon states and international intergovernmental organizations to pursue a dedicated consultative process, preferably under the auspices of the Committee and taking into account the work of relevant technical bodies, and here I quote directly from Guideline B.1, to consider, acquire specific understanding of, and develop shared positions on the practical issues and modalities, as appropriate, relating to the exchange of relevant information on space objects and events in near-Earth space obtained from different authorized sources in order to achieve harmonized and standardized record-keeping on space objects and events in outer space, end quote. In this regard, we take note of the Conference Room Paper 20 submitted by the delegation of the United Arab Emirates, which contains a proposal for the establishment of of an expert group on space situational awareness within the framework of the STSC. We believe this to be a very timely and much-needed initiative to start discussions aimed at developing practical information-sharing practices to aid operational coordination and improve orbital safety, as was envisaged in LTS Guideline B1. We believe that the establishment of such an expert group would be a step in the right direction to advance global cooperation in SSA information sharing and coordination, which will be a necessary foundational step towards enhancing space traffic coordination. Such a step would help with, inter alia, the development of internationally agreed measures for providing access to information on objects and events in outer space on a timely basis and for achieving consistency in the understanding and use of such information as one of the means to support the safety of space operations. LTS Guideline B1 envisages a number of possible options for consideration that could serve as a basis for a distributed international information system for multilateral cooperation and sharing and disseminating multi-source information on objects and events in near-Earth space. Madam Chair, space traffic coordination is fundamental for securing the long-term sustainability of outer space activities. In our view, the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee is the principal multilateral intergovernmental forum for technical discussions on space traffic coordination. We further believe that the proposal by the UAE to establish an expert group on space situational awareness within the framework of the STSC is an appropriate and timely next step in the implementation of one of the recommendations in the LTS guidelines on effective information sharing on space objects and events, and we hope that the subcommittee will agree to take this next step. Madam Chair, Mr. Chair, distinguished delegates, the Secure World Foundation looks forward to continuing to support the committee's efforts to achieve and sustain the continued peaceful uses of outer space. Thank you for your kind attention.

I thank the distinguished observer from Secure World Foundation for the statement. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished observer from Space Generation Advisory Council. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. On behalf of the Space Generation Advisory Council, SGAC, I'm pleased to see you here in Vienna back at the podium as chair of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and would like to assure you of our full support. Further, we would like to express our high appreciation for the excellent work of the Secretariat in preparation of this session and congratulate Ms. Takemi Chiku for her appointment as Chief of the Policy and Legal Affairs Section of the Committee. Before moving to our statement under this agenda item, we would like to take a moment to commemorate the late Ambassador André Mistal. André was an outstanding diplomat, a dear friend, and a true inspiration to many young people interested in pursuing a diplomatic career in international law. We will remember Andrei for his remarkable work as Chair of the Legal Subcommittee and of the Space Resources Working Group, and we will forever be grateful for his guidance as a longstanding advisor of SGAC. Dear Andrei, you left us too early. We will deeply miss you.

activities.

The many achievements accomplished by SGAC over the past 25 years stand as a concrete testament to the tremendous impact that was generated by the 3rd UniSpace Conference. This is why we note with great appreciation Action 56 from the Path for the Future, encouraging the Committee to further consult on the proposal to hold a 4th UniSpace Conference in 2020. Thank you.

2027.

We thank the Office for Outer Space Affairs, Italy, and Morocco for their excellent work in facilitating this consultation so far and stand ready to offer our full support in the next steps of this process. Since our foundation at Unispace 3, SGAC, we have been harnessing the creativity and vigor of the youth to promote the long-term sustainability of space with several initiatives. Last in this list is our proposal for an Intergenerational Pact for Space Sustainability, or IPASS, which we have presented to the 3 sessions of the Committee throughout the year 2024. Building upon Action 56 of the Pact for the Future, we propose action-oriented recommendations fostering the peaceful and sustainable uses of space for the benefit of all humanity. In connection with the agenda of this subcommittee, we would like to underline the following 3 recommendations. One, firm commitments in national legislation to implement the 2019 Long-Term Sustainability Guidelines, especially to prevent the creation of new space debris and develop solutions for the active 2, creation of a global coordination framework, potentially in the form of a system of systems for space situational awareness and space traffic coordination. 3, improve consultations related to lunar activities to ensure that they can be conducted in a peaceful, cooperative, safe, and sustainable manner. If you're interested to hear more about our proposals related to space traffic and the preservation of dark and quiet skies, we warmly invite you to check the dedicated technical presentation that SGAC delivered under Agenda Item 15, which was presented by one of our policy coordinators, to discuss what our Intergenerational Pact for Space Sustainability means for dark and quiet skies. We will also deliver a statement under this agenda item next week. To conclude, Madam Chair, we're grateful for the opportunity to provide the subcommittee with the views of the young generation on the long-term sustainability of outer space activities. We stand ready to work together to foster the peaceful, safe, and sustainable uses of outer space for the benefit of all humanity, present and future. Thank you very much for your kind attention.

I thank the distinguished observer for Space Generation Advisory Council for this statement. We will continue and hopefully suspend our consideration of Agenda Item 10, Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activity, pending the discussion in the Working Group. Distinguished delegates, I'll now turn to proceed with technical presentations. First presentation on my list is on 2024 space debris activities in France by the representative of France. You have the floor.

Thank you very much, Chair. Delegates, for quite some time, the issue of space debris has been a priority for France and the CNES. That's its space agency. In this manner, we've contributed to all international fora dealing with the matter. Nationally, for more than 30 years, we have a consistent program on this with 3 thrusts: prevention, technical solutions for reducing the space debris footprint, and monitoring. Next slide, please. On the latter, the CNES is drawing up a national catalogue of space objects, and since the Cosmos-Iridium collision in 2009, has provided an anti-collision service called CESAR, which is high-performing and is available in the EU through the EU SST partnership, with more than 500 satellites protected by the system, and the space— Spanish Space Agency. On the European level and internationally, The CNS is part of standardization bodies such as ECSS and ISO, drawing on the work of the ADC. This standardization and work is crucial to limit the increase in space debris. The ADC, in its report on space debris, which is the subject of a CRP during this session, documents this situation. You can see it on the graph on the screen. The 2 following conclusions are key.

Thank you.

Number one, prevention measures aren't sufficiently applied by operators, in particular in the end-of-life cycle. While we do see an improvement over the past 5 years, then that space debris is increasing today in certain lower orbital regimes due to the fragmentation of space assets or collisions. Next slide. It is particularly important then to more precisely model the long-term evolution of space debris populations so as to establish a precise diagnostic and adopt appropriate solutions. Next slide. Modeling tools today require very long calculation times, and we are developing thus statistic calculation algorithms based on the point process so as to reduce the time. In this example, you can see a fragment fragmentation identified as priority for possible withdrawal is modeled. The Gabbard diagram, the post-fragmentation Gabbard diagram, is about the fragments that are then propagated for 100 years so as to assess the risk of induced collision. The results are extremely encouraging. We've gained about a factor of 1,000 when compared with a Monte Carlo calculation. Next slide, please. These studies are key, as the number of fragmentation in orbit is growing at a dizzying rate. Here you can see the fragmentation of the Intelsat 33E that happened 21 October 2024. This photo was taken through the Tero Telescope Network operated by the CNES and CNRS. It identified the first fragments.

Thank you.

A first Gabbard diagram was produced. You can see the distribution. It's from 15 November 2024. The fragmentation was strong enough to re-orbit fragments with a 41,000-kilometer apex. Since that time, 96 fragments were catalogued by our network and are being monitored very carefully so as to protect the European— the European— the European group of orbital satellites in geostationary orbit, from collisions. Next slide, please. Collision risks with debris or between satellites is a major concern and is subject to ongoing monitoring in the CNES's monitoring centre. Here you can see a concrete example of a collision alert between 2 satellites, the Pleiades-1B from CNES and Aura from NASA, which led to the execution of an Avoidance maneuver. The time of closest approach was estimated at 23 April 2024, 11:57, and we crossed the alert threshold 7 days earlier. In principle, when the secondary object is debris, the first action to undertake is to fine-tune its trajectory with space surveillance sensors. Tracking means reducing covariance of the secondary object and eliminating risk. In this In this specific case, the 2 objects were satellites, which we knew the ephemerides and the maneuver plans. This is a real example of cooperation between anti-collision centers and operators, CESAR and CARA for NASA. The coordination confirmed an approach distance of 66 meters and a collision probability of 33%, rather, and thus the risk confirmed. Avoidance maneuvers strategies were planned for, and then with the Pleiades 1B center, we decided to modify the station maneuver so as to create a radial gap between the two. This is illustrated here. You can see at the center of the axis the Aura satellite and its 1 sigma covariance. Then in the bottom to the left, there's the Pleiades 1B increasing its post-variance, post-manoeuvre covariance. This avoided the risk. This means that it is key today for satellites to have anti-collision capacity, in particular by contracting services such as EUSST. These provisions now are obligatory when it comes to the law on space operations in France. Next slide. Indeed, France, in 2008 domesticated through the Law on Space Operations the principles of the Space Treaty and relevant conventions, as well as various technical norms and the prevention of space debris. These were updated in July 2024 so as to be in step with new trends in the space sector, but also to take account of experience we've garnered up to present, in particular strengthening orbital security by requiring operators to have anti-collision capacity and sharing data necessary to these ends. Also asking them to use technologies for better monitoring. Also, limiting orbital duration after end-of-life cycle operations has been tightened. Now, this can't exceed 3 times the operational life cycle and a threshold that was set of 25 years maximum. Then, when it comes to constellations, the threshold could be 5 years or 2 years, depending on their size. This is a regulatory framework for authorizing and making secure orbital servicing operations. After 15 years, we see that this law has been— is balanced and pragmatic. It assures the security for space operators and ensures that outer space is sustainable. Authorizations were issued in 15 years. Since, there have been 21 transfers to other states, 35 withdrawals from service, and 31 extensions of mission. 103 satellites continue to fly with this authorization at this time. Next slide. This type of technical regulation is only applicable if it goes hand in hand with technological solutions. This is the reason that the CNES has established a technological development program which goes hand in hand with the regulation. The initiative is entitled Technologies for Space Care. It seeks to develop means for our operators to act in step with the space law, but also with international recommendations. These technologies include an electric passivation system, which means that even when satellites lose Communication, the satellite will unplug the solar panels and drain its batteries at the end of its operations. Also, a deorbiting— a deorbiting veil, which is being developed. It is deployable but also retractable. That means that the drop toward lower orbits can be controlled so as to come close to the concept of assisted natural reentries.

Thank you.

I'd note also that detumbler, the goal is to reduce the tumbling of passivated satellites in view of a possible withdrawal by an orbital servicing vehicle. This is particularly important for deorbiting satellites when they've broken down, such that they can be withdrawn from service. The first flight of this detumbler happened in 2023. And then finally, a water propulsion system, which is very cost efficient and provides natively non-maneuvering satellites, nanosats, for example, with maneuvering capacity dedicated to anti-collision solely. Then other technologies are also being developed, and in the years to come, we plan to fly them on a model satellite so as to classify them as flight-proven. Next slide, please. What I draw from this plethora of activities is a reminder that many of the activities that I mentioned are done in cooperation with other partners and that we have to do things together. It's also important to emphasize the need to raise awareness among stakeholders and the key role of the IADC and COPAOVs. It is along these that CNS regularly holds workshops on all of these topics. In particular, the next one which will happen in Toulouse, 18 to 20 June 2025, which is to be on debris modeling and remediation. Chair, delegates, thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of France for the presentation. Second presentation on my list is on Kazakhstan experience in developing a tax information program by the representative of Kazakhstan.

You have the floor.

Good afternoon, dear participants of the COPOL Scientific and Technical Subcommittee session. Next slide, please. Thank you, Madam Chair, for the opportunity to speak at this regular session. Every year, various forms of natural disasters and emergencies occur on the Earth, causing harm to our Earth, humanity, and wildlife. life. One of the solutions to ensure the safety of human life and sustainability on the Earth is the use of space technology. Next slide. Our company, QGIS, is the operator of its own satellites and has capabilities ranging from the design and the manufacturing of spacecraft to the processing of satellite images and providing data analysis across for all sectors of the economy. Next slide. This slide, uh, outlines the main areas of activity of our company in providing remote sensing data analysis. We conduct monitoring in the field of agriculture, particularly focusing and the rational use of land resources and crop yield forecasting, which helps to respond promptly to food security. Our company actively participates in preserving the environment by monitoring illegal landfills and the state of forest fund. These measures directly demonstrate strict compliance with all UN Sustainable Development Measures and Goals. Furthermore, uh, QGIS using space technologies plays an active role in disaster forecasting and response efforts. Next slide. In order to expound remote sensing data and support, uh, the domestic ecosystem for regular and timely access to this data, It is crucial to receive up-to-date satellite images on a daily basis, which is not possible without a satellite constellation. In this connection, Kazakhstan is developing a medium-resolution remote sensing satellite constellation consisting of 3 spacecraft as part of its space program. This constellation is open for partnership, and Mongolia has become the first partner. The Republic of the Congo recently became the second partner to join the project, indicating growing interest in cooperation in the field of the Earth observation in the international arena. In the future, there are plans to expand the constellation with high-resolution and radar satellites. The aim of the project is it— to invest in one satellite and get data from the entire constellation. At present, there are 2 slots available to be ready for launch by 2028. I'm confident that global cooperation will make it possible to face modern threats and challenges together. Next slide. As you may know, the UN-Spider Regional Office was established in Kazakhstan in 2021, which enabled the implementation of the series of preventive measures under the UN-Spider program to prevent emergency and natural disasters. Starting from 2025, the work under this program will be transferred to our company, taking into account the high potential and the company commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. I am confident that our company's participation in this program will make a significant contribution to its further development and support. The next meeting of UN SPIDER participants is proposed to be held in Kazakhstan. Next slide. The next initiative proposed by our country is the development and expansion of the TASCAN digital platform under the auspices of the United Nations. The TASCAN platform aims to improve flood monitoring, enhance the accuracy of risk forecasting, and improve coordination in decision-making during emergencies. In 2024, Kazakhstan faced a large-scale disaster in the form of floods, which led to the destruction of infrastructure, infrastructure, flooding of significant areas, and disruption of vital activities in some regions of the country. This becomes the main reason for the development of the Taskon platform. The platform will serve as a key tool for preventing potential damage. It allows for flood risk warnings and the modeling of potential flood zones based on predicted water volumes, significantly improving the accuracy and timeliness of response efforts. Next slide. Hydrological and meteorological data are also used to build the model, which makes it possible to take into account climate change and other factors affecting floods. The system is integrated with various information sources, ensuring real-time data updates. This enables rapid analysis of the current situation, forecasting the development of events, and taking measures to minimize damage. The platform also provides the ability to run various simulation scenarios, helping to better prepare for potential emergencies. An important aspect is that the platform is designed for government and municipal structures as well as specialists in the fields of ecology, hydrology, and meteorology. This facilitates the efficient coordination of action and ensures that the population receives timely information about potential threats. Next slide, please. Thus, TUSCAN not only enhances the safety of the population but also contributes to sustainable management of natural resources and effective response to natural disasters. We are confident that the development of such technologies will continue to yield real results and will serve as a model for future initiatives in the fields of sustainable development and environment protection technologies. Our side is ready to integrate with similar early warning system and further expand the coverage area of the platform under the auspices of COPOS. We hope that Kazakhstan's initiative will be reflected in the final documents of the COPOS Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and the UN-Spider COPOS document, highlighting the importance of using remote sensing technologies to enhance the effectiveness of disasters management and strengthening international cooperation in this area. Thank you for your attention.

I thank the distinguished representative of Kazakhstan for the presentation. Third presentation on my list is on research on monitoring and early warning systems of near-Earth Asteroids Based on Space-Earth Coordination, by the representative of China. You have the floor.

Thank you. Good noon, distinguished delegates. I'm Chen Yongcai from the Earth Observation System and Data Center of the CNSA. It is my honor to be here to share with you our latest research on the monitoring and early warning system of near-Earth asteroids based on space-Earth coordination. And I will introduce our research from 4 aspects. Next, please. From 4 aspects: introduction, requirements, design, and prospect. Next. Why is this research important? Near-Earth asteroid impact is recognized as one of the most severe sudden Disasters that humanity faces, the potential consequences of such an impact are catastrophic. Preventing and mitigating this risk is a common task for all of us. Effective monitoring and early warning are the prerequisites for any successful mitigation strategy. Moreover, this This is not a challenge that any single nation can tackle on— tackle alone. International cooperation is a key enabler throughout the entire process. It is about planetary defense, and it is about building a community with a shared future for mankind in space. Next. Currently, the main equipment for asteroid searching and cataloging are Earth-based telescopes. However, these telescopes are significantly influenced by factors such as the atmosphere, weather, illumination, and their geographical location. These limitations restrict the observable region of the night sky, especially for asteroids approaching from certain directions. Next, please. To overcome these limitations, we propose a core— coordinated approach that combines both Earth-based and space-based observation systems. Next. For Earth-based systems, we have 2 main mission scenarios. For unknown asteroid, we focus on conducting searches and classifications, which requires large aperture, wide field survey telescopes. For known asteroids, we emphasize early warning and forecasting of imminent events, which requires high-precision tracking devices. Next. For space-based systems, we also have the 2 main mission scenarios. For known asteroids, we need to conduct networking patrols around the Sun-Earth system to search and catalog. For a known asteroid, we need to utilize stability points relative to the Sun-Earth system for precise tracking and imminent forecast. Next, please. According to the aforementioned requirements, we designed a basic model and an extended model for our monitoring system. Next, please. In the basic model, Earth-based telescopes are strategically— oh, sorry. I'm sorry. Please, can I— It ran out of power. Uh, can I— a little later? I will send it to my phone. A little later, please.

Okay.

Sorry, sorry. We can continue now.

Yeah, yeah, okay.

For the space-based systems, we also have the 2 main mission scenarios mentioned. For known asteroids, we need to conduct networking patrols around the Sun-Earth system to search and catalog. For unknown asteroids, we need to utilize stability points relative to the Sun-Earth system for precise tracking and imminent forecast. Oh, sorry. In the extended model, we further expand our space-based observation capabilities on Earth pilot trio orbit monitoring system for routine survey and early warning, a Venus-like orbit monitoring system for routine survey and cataloging, and Earth companion distant retrograde orbit DRO monitoring system for additional survey and cataloging. We are also working on refining the partition model of NEA impact risk building on the existing terrestrial scale. Next, please. Terrestrial scale. Our research aims to provide a more precise and comprehensive evaluation of potential impact risks. And next, please. Moreover, we have developed a new comprehensive evaluation method called 6th Degree. This method integrates multiple factors to provide a more accurate assessment of NEA impact risks, helping us make better-informed decisions. Next, please. Next, please. Moreover, we are developing an integrated monitoring and early warning platform. This platform will serve as a central hub for data collection, analysis, and dissemination. It will enable real-time monitoring and rapid response to potential threats. Next, please. We firmly believe that international cooperation is crucial for the success of our efforts. We are actively engaging with international partners to deploy monitoring stations and payloads, conduct joint development and observations, and facilitate data exchange and sharing. We are also working closely with international organizations such as IAEA and CENPAGE. We aim to contribute to international mega-science projects and establish a global network for Earth safety research. Next, please. We are also proposing an international mega-science initiative for the Earth Guard program. This program aims to address the major other space threats to space safety, including near-Earth asteroid impact, space weather disasters, high-speed moving space debris, and other natural disasters. Next, please. Our objectives are clear: to cooperate with international partners to strengthen the space and Earth observation capabilities, to develop international space infrastructures across space, near space, atmosphere, and the ground to support global scientists in Earth safety research, to establish a theoretical framework for Earth safety to guide international activities, propose rules, and develop cooperation mechanisms. Let's Next slide, please. In conclusion, the monitoring and early warning of near-Earth asteroids is a critical task and requires global collaboration. Through our research and the development of advanced monitoring systems, we aim to enhance our ability to detect and response— respond to potential threats. We are committed to working with the international community to build a safer and a more resilient future for all of us in space. Thank you for your attention.

I thank the distinguished representative of China for the presentation. 4th presentation on my list is on ASI activities on near-Earth objects by the representative of Italy. You have the floor.

Mr. Chair, distinguished delegates, I'm very honored to participate to the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee meeting to present Italy's activities on near-Earth objects. Italy, through the Italian Space Agency, is actively engaged in many national and international projects of near-Earth objects research and monitoring. For scientific and planetary defense purposes. Acknowledging the crucial role of international cooperation in planetary defense for the benefit of all humankind, Italian experts participate in international initiatives such as the International Asteroid Warning Network and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group, contributing to the hypothetical near-Earth asteroid impact exercise with deflection mission analysis in collaboration with Politecnico of Milan. At the European level, Italy participates in the ESA Space Safety Programme, contributing to the activities regarding planetary defence from hazardous asteroids. Italy also supports the activities of the Space Situational Awareness Programme of the European Union Space Italy is a major participant of the recently launched Hera mission. Hera is a planetary defense mission of the European Space Agency to study post-impact the Didymos binary asteroid system, characterize the surface, internal structure, and composition of both asteroids, analyze the crater created by NASA's DART mission, and test new and innovative technologies such as autonomous navigation around asteroids and low gravity proximity operations. Together, DART and Hera missions will help understand the effects of the kinetic impact on asteroids and contribute to define strategies for deflecting potentially hazardous asteroids. Italy contributed to the development of the Milani CubeSat, which is a nanosatellite onboard ERA that will be deployed to conduct detailed close-up observations of the Didymos-Dimorphos system. Italian science community is largely involved in the ERA investigation team and science operations, leading radio science and VISTA instruments. National industries are also deeply involved in the preparatory work for the ESA's proposed RAMSES mission, which will characterize the asteroid Apophis with high resolution before and after its close encounter with Earth on April 13, 2029, when the asteroid will transit within the satellite's geostationary orbit. The close encounter with Apophis represents a unique planetary defense opportunity to observe a potentially hazardous asteroid being subject to a natural tidal experiment with expected significant properties change. RAMSES mission concept reuses much of the technology expertise and industrial and science communities developed for the Hera mission with large involvement of the Italian community. For example, HAMLET is the Italian proposal of the Opportunity payload allocation, which is a multispectral instrument in the visible and near-infrared wavelength range to study the asteroid's surface composition, structure, and regolith mobility, and to measure space weathering effects and eventual shape and surface changes of Apophis due to the close encounter with Earth. In the frame of the Alcor program, which is an initiative of the Italian Space Agency focused on the development and the implementation of small satellites, There is a new nanosatellite mission concept called ANIME, that stands for Asteroid Nodal Intersection Multiple Encounters. The goal of the mission is to explore 3 near-Earth asteroids, performing 2 flybys with 2 potentially hazardous asteroids, and 1 rendezvous encounter with one of the highest score asteroids from the NASA and ESA risk list. This is a cost-effective small satellite mission Absolutely relevant in terms of both planetary science and planetary defence, and innovative as it is going to be equipped with electric and chemical propulsion for autonomous navigation. ASI is the first contributor to the ESA FlyEye initiative under the planetary defence topic of the Space Safety Programme. The FlyEye telescope is an innovative system with a 45 square degrees wide field of view and high sensitivity, especially suitable for the NEO discovery and for the observation of variable astronomical sources. The first FlyEye telescope is planned to be installed on Mount Mufara in Sicily, and the development of a new generation FlyEye 2 has begun and will be deployed in the southern hemisphere by 2029. The Italian Space Agency has made its Space Geodesy Center in Matera available to support the pre-installation and science verification phases of FlyA-1 that are currently ongoing, as it's shown in these pictures. Meanwhile, the construction of the observatory in Mount Mufara has started. The rising NEO discovery rate, particularly of smaller objects, thanks to more sensitive search programs, necessitates increased investigation into their physical properties. Understanding these properties, especially for potentially hazardous objects, is essential for predicting the potential effects of an impact on the ground and planning effective deflection missions. Another reason to prioritize physical characterization is to identify suitable NEOs for deflection test missions. Ground-based observations in the visible and infrared spectral ranges, such as photometry and low-resolution spectroscopy, and radar observations are particularly useful to characterize the nature of these objects, and a rapid response network of suitable telescopes would allow many small objects to be characterized during the discovery apparition. In this context, the Italian Space Agency is considering a new facility to coordinate the utilization of existing national and international ground-based optical, infrared, and radio telescopes, the synergy with the SST-ACES, and the development of new, innovative, and dedicated instrumentation for the physical characterization of NEOs. Coordinating all available assets and ensuring observing time availability, pursuing high-level agreements, will guarantee observational continuity, optimization of planning and execution, and the possibility of rapid response operations for the physical characterization of the near-Earth object population. Italian Space Agency participated to the European Union-funded program NEOROX with the development of the database for the physical properties and the physical priority list, and national research centers and universities were involved in scientific observations and spectrophotometric analysis of NEOs. ASI has also undertaken the transition in-house of the NEO NEODIS provides a suite of softwares for the orbital determination of all asteroids and an impact risk monitoring system which provides a risk list and a scan service useful for the confirmation of detections and for the early warning of imminent impactors. The maintenance and evolution of the NEO-ROCS database together with other components based on the NEODIS service are key elements of the project concept of the Neo-Physical Characterization Center of the Italian Space Agency. The University of Pisa is developing new theoretical models and algorithms to refine essential tools for orbital calculations and impact probabilities, implementing among other new astrometric error models new methods for orbit propagation, and analysis of the Yarkovsky effect on the long-term monitoring. The recent discovery of asteroid 2024 ER4 with a concerning, as of today, 1.4% impact probability in 2032 highlights the need for continued investment in planetary defense. NEOs can potentially pose a threat to human life and economy, And early detection, continuous monitoring, and impact risk assessment are critical to prevent and mitigate such threat. ASI works to strengthen international collaboration and develop new generation observational capabilities to mitigate this risk. Thank you for your attention.

I thank the distinguished representative of Italy for the presentation. 5th presentation on my list is on Triple E: Energy, Economy, Environment, the Case for Big Data France Relocation in Outer Space, by the observer for Space Renaissance International. You have the floor.

Thank you very much, honorable chair, madam, and distinguished delegates. Can the presentation start? Okay. So, this is called the Triple E— energy, economy, and environment— because it's trying to look at the energy issue from a general 360-degree point of view. Next slide, please. So, raising energy demand and wars are sinking the green transition. The world's primary energy demand is rising, and wars deter and absorb large public investments. The green transition is at a standstill and never started to work. The ongoing wars have deterred and absorbed a large portion of public investments. Oil and gas industry keeps on investing in hydrocarbons and only spend 1% in renewables. renewables. Oil groups have revised their decarbonization objectives downwards. The automotive sector's switch to electric cars is struggling to take off. The equivalent CO2 emissions have actually increased profoundly and very rapidly. The transition phase has never really started to work, and the European Green Deal is a major program of austerities. The working classes and the production world suffering the most. The ecological transition is a policy designed for times of peace, and war calls all this into question. Yet wars are not the sole cause of the standstill. Renewables are growing at high speed, which is good news, yet fossil fuels are not decreasing. We are witnessing a parallel process that makes useless the obtained efficiency advantages. The world's energy demand keeps on growing. There are now more sources to satisfy it, yet fossil and renewable sources altogether are not enough. A slow replacement of fossil fuels with renewables is possible if and only if the global energy demand decreases, and this is not just a question of wasteful usage. To run artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence, e-money, and other emerging technologies, supercomputers, and big data servers are sucking up ever-increasing quantities of energy. Storage is mandatory to manage non-programmable power sources like solar and wind. Extracting and processing the required minerals and rare earth, cobalt, and other elements also require a huge amount of energy. processes often take place in countries that still produce power by burning coal. Thus, the amount of CO2 emitted to the atmosphere is actually increasing despite decarbonization policies. The energy transition, the way it is being done, is actually backfiring. Computational power for sustaining artificial intelligence rise is doubling every 100 A per-10 improvement in AI efficiency requires computational power demand up 10,000 times. Energy required to run AI annual growth rate is 26 to 36%. By 2028, AI could be using more power than Iceland used in 2021. AI lifecycle impacts environment. So the big The big data farms cause unbearable increases in energy bills in the surrounding areas. Maybe to move big data servers and AI supercomputers in orbital and moon data farms could be a solution. The global energy demand trend marks a meaningful change in growth rate at the birth of emerging techs. The second table shows the percentage impact of emerging techs on the global demand of energy. The benefits of electronic society will become more and more expensive privilege reserved to the wealthier classes. Private transportation will be reserved for the affluent. The lower classes will be educated for collective mobility and to accept the authorities' ability to deem what is truly necessary and what will be defined as superfluous.

Next slide, please.

There is an alternative to this inescapable and narrow path. The outlook fully changes through the innovative perspective of civilian space development, expanding civilization into outer space. Progressively moving industrial development into the geolunar space will halve the growing demand for energy on Earth, and it will relieve Earth's environment, acting as an authentic green transition. Such a solution can be optimal for both true progressist people interested in social growth for all and for true libertarian people interested in freedom and the real free market. These 2 positions, both sharing humanist ideals of progress, can work together. Energy is the It's a very key node of the current break-even of human history. The demand and the use of energy affect all aspects: economy, environment, social conditions, lifestyle, and evolution. If we remain closed within Earth's boundary, our civilization will be forced to hard restrictions. That will determine a step backward in the Kardashev roadmap of anthropological elevation.

An example?

For example, the World Wide Web is perhaps the greatest anthropological achievement of the last 100 years. If we remain closed within Earth's boundary, our civilization will be forced to renounce to it, or to hard restriction of its use to few privileged people. Normal Earth citizens might be requested to stop even communicating for the sake of energy saving.

Thank you.

The gap between electricity supply and demand in 2030 is a quick ramping value, as shown by this table. So, a space transition is needed. The green transition has failed. Renewables are growing, yet fossil sources are growing as well. Together, the two of them cannot pair with the increasing demand for electrical energy supply. The green transition strategy was based on the assumption that energy demand would decrease, but the electrical energy demand caused by artificial intelligence, web communication, electronic money, electrical mobility, and big data servers are contradicting all of this, and the determine the failure of the green transition strategy. So a space transition is needed, moving industrial development to geolunar space, place big data farms in orbit, generate electrical power in space. The main stakeholders of big data to space, moving big data to space, the first beneficiary will be the green transition itself, being fed by solar power directly in space The huge energy demand of big data farms will be shifted out of planet Earth, as well as the heating directly dissipated in space. The social and economic growth placing large servers and supercomputers in Earth orbit and on the Moon will contribute to the energy balance on Earth, a key factor for sustainable social economic development on Earth and beyond. For Earth, the supergrid global agriculture and water supply, for crisis development— deployment and containment, and for mass education and governance. And 17 SDGs— the big data in space is ideal for the rapid and long-term implementation of the 17 SDGs, as it will allow many billions immediate access to well-designed pathways for problem-solving initiatives according to their needs, location, and circumstances. Other benefits include the protection of human rights and 100% inclusivity at various levels might be enhanced by big data space. Big data farm will also process data flow transmitted from Earth via mass communication and social media, information collected from civil society, etc., concerning crisis and 17 SDGs implementation. Integrated computational servers can can collect and collate large quantities of data, analyze, and then transmit responsive and optimal returns. The large capacity of space-based data servers could enhance many levels of global security, including illegal border traffic such as arms, drugs, et cetera. The easiest route for collaborative space-based data security under Outer Space Treaty provisions is via interchange and verification mechanisms techniques used for global nuclear monitoring. The downtime of onboard computers is greatly reduced and transmission capacity is greatly enhanced. Big Data Bounce can also be placed on the Moon and in the Lagrange points. Contributors will be large international research entities such as CERN or Jefferson Lab that may play a role in a broad collaboration environment for building a new Big Data space ecosystem, including contribution from commercial, organizational, and governmental entities. Space agencies of all countries might provide scientific and technological support. Private commercial companies will be highly interested to contribute. United Nations and UNOOSA in particular might provide legal assistance for human rights, international collaboration, and inclusivity purposes. An 18 SDG Act might work as a harmonizing house in this capability— capacity. Okay, so thanks, thank you very much for your attention. Of course, SRI is ready to help in any aspects to support initiatives to move big data farms in space. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished observer for Space Renaissance International for the presentation. I will shortly adjourn this meeting. Before doing so, I would like to inform delegates of our schedule of work for this afternoon. We will meet promptly at 3 PM. We will continue our consideration of Agenda Item 3, General Exchange of Views. We will continue and hopefully suspend our consideration of Agenda Item 10, Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space activities pending the discussions in the working group. We will begin our consideration of agenda item 11, future role and method of work of the committee. We will then suspend the plenary meeting so that the working group on the use of nuclear power sources in outer space can hold its second meeting. Following the adjournment of the working group meeting, we'll then resume the plenary with the view to proceeding with technical presentations. We will have 5 technical presentations this afternoon. Delegates are reminded that the full schedule of technical presentations is available on the session's webpage. I'd like to inform delegates that our— that the informal consultations of the Working Group on the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities will be held in Conference Room M3 today from 1:00 to 1:45 PM. I'd like to inform delegates that the informal consultations of the Working Group on the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space will be held in Conference Room M6 today from 1:30 PM. I'd like also to inform delegates that the informal consultations of the Action Team on Lunar Activities Consultation will be held in Conference Room M2 from 1:50 to 2:50 PM. Please note that the consultation starts at 1:50 PM as per latest schedule. Starting at 1:30, I will also be in the room for individual conversations if required. Schedule of consultations is available on the webpage of the session. I would now like to give the floor to the Secretary to provide information on the side event.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. At 2:00 PM, there will be a side event co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization and also the Office for Outer Space Affairs in Room M3 and via virtual connection also. This event is entitled Leveraging Space Technology for Agricultural Development and Food Security. All delegations are invited. Thank you very much.

I thank the Secretariat for the information provided. Are there any questions or comments on this proposed schedule? I see none. Distinguished delegates, this meeting is adjourned until 3 PM today.