Thread by @LucRiesbeck

Livetweeting today's @SWFoundation Summit for Space Sustainability, using the hashtag #SWFSummit21

From @WaleedCandC: When looking at #ClimateChange the space-based EO perspective provides us:
-the global scale-view of climate change
-data to inform the implications of our actions
-tools to improve our models so we can better prepare for & mitigate changes. #SWFSummit21

Thelma Krug, Vice-Chair of the @IPCC_CH:
Remotely sensed data reduces our uncertainties in knowing our "energy budget" & "sea level budget," as well as better predict future conditions.

Remotely sensed data boosts re-analysis, homogeneity & continuity of datasets. #SWFSummit21

Dr. Mariane Diop Kane, Programme Manager for @AMCOMET & @WMO Regional Office for Africa:
Regional expertise is growing, but we need to approach a "critical mass" of expertise, and continue to develop regional climate services to address region-specific challenges. #SWFSummit21

Lori Garver @Lori_Garver of @EarthriseAlly: The unique perspective of space offers us what we simply cannot get otherwise- swaths of data. It's time to figure out the policy direction for how to best utilize it: resilience & adaptation. Build verifiable schemes. #SWFSummit21

Garver: We see a gap here--the measurers don't decide what happens to the data. Data is not just for science. It should inform meaningful change. #SWFSummit21

Steven Hamburg, Chief Scientist @EnvDefenseFund: Data-to-Action pipeline. MethaneSAT was an example of looking at what's missing in the data picture, & working backwards to fund the tech & partner to fill that data gap. Methane emissions influence near-term warming. #SWFSummit21

Now turning to the topic of megaconstellations, with a spotlight talk from the amazing Dr. Timiebi Aganaba @Timiebi89 of ASU's School for the Future of Innovation and Society #SWFSummit21

@Timiebi89 Dr. Aganaba: Does servicing this increase of demand in LEO warrant the risks to the orbital environment and to the Earth? COVID exacerbated the connectivity gap. But should it be closed "at all costs"? #SWFSummit21 #SpaceSustainability

Dr. Aganaba @Timiebi89: Systems to remove debris are proliferating, but there is still controversy regarding space traffic management & 'close call' conjunctions on orbit. Int'l cooperation is urgently needed, & fora to balance interests and encourage coordination. #SWFSummit21

Hugh Lewis @ProfHughLewis: This is uncharted territory driven by companies aiming to disrupt the market. "Fail fast-fail often" only works in short-term & assumes you can always iterate through problems. Debris isn't like that, & companies are being somewhat naïve. #SWFSummit21

Andy Williams of @ESO: we have to assume the filings for projects in development will happen. Effects to astronomy depend on many factors but range to severe, esp. for wide-field. No environmental laws effect the orbital environment--so no level playing field. #SWFSummit21

Williams: Impact scales with the number of satellites added. Astronomy community has formed a series of groups to collaborate with SSA & debris experts--part of the solution is about finding ways to compel constellation operators to share more data. #SWFSummit21

Lewis: Regulators themselves need to consider the total orbital environment. No evidence regulators are coordinating, & that is sorely needed.

Couldn't agree more--regulators need to Quanitify, Cap, Monitor, & enforce limits on risk posed by megaconstellations. #SWFSummit21

Randy Segal @RandySegal of @HoganLovells: Domestic market access "landing rights" is a negotiating tool could be a basis to begin dialogue to bound risk posed by megaconstellations and balance interests of space, connectivity, & astronomy. #SWFSummit21

Tim Farrar @TMFAssociates Defense stakeholders will play a role here in driving requirements for megaconstellations. Not different from the 90s--I see companies today making the same mistakes. $ is being thrown into space--we'll see if revenues are sustainable. #SWFSummit21

Segal @RandySegal: Economics are enormously different today, but it's true that there is a lot of hype out there. Sometimes 2nd owners post-bankruptcy have seen success.
#SWFSummit21

Farrar @TMFAssociates: Rules & understandings between operators for coordination are based on trust--but not in public. Should be more publicly disclosed to validate & build confidence in automated CAMs.
@RandySegal: Must be centrally coordinated, too many operators #SWFSummit21

(Note from me: Maneuverable sats vs. failed sats is a big difference here. Coordination is only effective if you can actually control your sat. For systems of these sizes, even small failure rates (3-5%) still result in dozens of dead sats deorbiting every year...) #SWFSummit21

Williams: The FCC didn't consider space debris creation at one point, now they do. Regulators need to keep adapting to the times & consider megaconstellations' impact. Balance costs to systems & valid stakeholders on the ground. Minimum standards for light pollution, for example.

Are mega-constellations "appropriating" certain orbits?
Farrar: Yes--and not just orbits, spectrum too! #SWFSummit21

Now to @darrenmck10 for a spotlight talk on a topic close to my heart-- ADR!

Study found that top debris collision risk is posed by abandoned rocket bodies, & many collected in a close regime at 840 & 970km. These are prime targets for active debris removal.
#SWFSummit21

@darrenmck10 McKnight: "We are decades beyond the point of urgency" for ADR. Constellations pose risk, but could themselves be victims of "decades of complacency" of leaving these dead derelict objects. #SWFSummit21

Charity Weeden @cweeden: @astroscale_HQ is approaching space sustainability from tech, business, & policy together. We launched the first commercial mission to demonstrate end-to-end ADR, ELSA-d. Large debris becomes small--so have to remediate that threat. #SWFSummit21

Luc Piguet @lucpiguet of @ClearspaceToday provides an overview of the ClearSpace mission & need for remediation of debris #SWFSummit21

@lucpiguet @ClearspaceToday Asha Balakrishnan of @IDA_org: R&D Plan laid out some priorities for further developments. A big one is risk models for debris; still need to incorporate risk across regimes & impacts--economic impact too. No one agency has the mission nor funding for this w/in USG. #SWFSummit21

Weeden @cweeden: Large constellations are exciting but we need to be responsive to new hazards and congestions. Target high reliability (costly) OR have a plan for disposal for when failures happen. Measure risk and cap it--& actually keep tabs on that & enforce it. #SWFSummit21

Need for economic incentives/ carrots & sticks for constellation operators to keep the risk they pose down.
Celia Iacomino of @sdabseelab: We've run simulations to model how industry could react to those incentives. Short term & long term looks very different. #SWFSummit21

Piguet @lucpiguet: Debris removal costs *are* part of the total cost of a space mission--and should be considered in commercial business cases. The timing is right to affect change today-agencies need to enact budgets that invest in clean orbital regimes. #SWFSummit21

Balakrishnan: We need data & models to show us the costs now vs costs later if we wait and do nothing (much, much worse). #SWFSummit21

Weeden @cweeden: R&D for ADR & other on orbit services tick a lot of policy boxes for Biden admin: sustainability, national security applications, US leadership/ setting int'l norms of behavior, applications for exploration, etc.
Op-ed: space.com/making-space-s… #SWFSummit21

Weeden & Piguet: ClearSpace & Astroscale are both pioneers, for not only the technology & services but also in groups to collaboratively form industry best practices. ADR is just one mission enabled within the OOS, @astroscale_HQ is providing a whole suite of others. #SWFSummit21

Weeden @cweeden: Governments have been some of the worst offenders when it comes to debris creation--so we feel governments should be customers of services that take the long view & create the conditions for safe operations in the future. #SWFSummit21

@cweeden Balakrishnan of @IDA_org: Technology R&D solves a lot of this problem but not legal & policy barriers for ADR.
Weeden @cweeden at @Astroscale_US: Exactly. We'd like to see nations coordinate more--tech is developing fast & regulatory picture needs to keep pace. #SWFSummit21

Final thoughts: Weeden @cweeden: Domestic regulatory priorities. lay down the nation-specific details for who owns it, who is responsible for prioritizing the capability as key strategic one to future of space. Economic models & international element--starts at home. #SWFSummit21

Iacomino: If there is a sustainable PPP business model for ADR--what's the core aim, for industry to gain profit or save profit for operators in future? If the market can't solve the market alone, need a legislative intervention. #SWFSummit21

Balakrishnan of @ida_org: The US is losing an opportunity to get in on R&D for ADR. For its own missions as customer & to drive down risk. Can't admire the problem anymore. Need action from in the US for which agency is going to take the lead and be funded to do it. #SWFSummit21

Whew! With that fantastic discussion, Day 1 of the @SWFoundation's Summit for Space Sustainability #SWFSummit21 draws to a close. Be sure to follow all the panelists & their organizations above for more on #SpacesSustainability, #SpaceDebris, & #SpacePolicy.

I missed the first half of Day 2, but will catch the panel on the @SpaceForceDoD’s role starting at 11:15 EDT. You can catch the VOD of yesterday’s proceedings on the @SWFoundation youtube channel here:

#SWFSummit21

Spotlight talk from Sarah Minero of @CNASdc: Space Force was created to address DoD space acquisitions, culture, and long-term strategy for integrating space capabilities with warfighting. Space Force has a role to make "big bets" that challenge legacy architectures. #SWFSummit21

Kaitlyn Johnson @Kaitlyn_Johns0n of @CSISAerospace: Historically, military space role has been to support forces on the ground, but debate has picked up in recent years.
Bleddyn Bowen @bleddb: Previous bipartisan momentum fed into push to establish USSF under Trump. #SWFSummit21

Mir Sadat @Dr_Sadat_USN: continuing to build up democratic norms of behavior has been a goal incorporated into military space strategy. US adversaries have integrated military, civil, and intelligence space programs, for example. That separates us. #SWFSummit21

Col. Casey Beard of @SpaceForceDoD: Demand for space support drastically increased post-Desert Storm. In past decade, the threat environment to deny US access to space has also changed quickly, gave rise for the need for separate service specific to domain. #SWFSummit21

Sadat @dr_Sadat_USN: Chinese developments & spacepower aspirations have put pressure on US to meet them. Current focus is "look down" capabilities but need to build "look out" as well. Compares to development of US interstate--space is critical infrastructure. #SWFSummit21

@Dr_Sadat_USN Bowen @bleddb: Logistics first: Space ops dictated by influence of space capabilities on terrestrial environment. No point waging space warfare if it won't impact the ground; use & influence you gain from using that domain for battle. Battle is a means, not an end. #SWFSummit21

Beard: Outside of any one regime, US freedom of action is core to national security. The fundamental premise of spacepower has to remain in GEO which supports terrestrial operations, but not limited to that. #SWFSummit21

Johnson @Kaitlyn_Johns0n: In a resource-constrained environment, decisions not to eliminate capability but what to invest in for the future. USSF has a role to promote commercial space, investing in new technologies and missions. #SWFSummit2

Sadat @Dr_Sadat_USN: Chinese commercial space industry is undercutting U.S. commercial space. US doesn't just need dominance in space, we need US space supremacy. #SWFSummit21

@Dr_Sadat_USN Bowen @bleddb: China is still in catch-up mode, about where U.S. was in the 1990s. Chinese space policy & posture mirrors that of the U.S. Scientific & exploration activities are not inherently dangerous, either-- and we should be careful not to conflate them. #SWFSummit21

Beard: In our first 2 yrs, we are already partnering closely with the commercial sector--symbiotic relationship. I expect a continued & more formal partnership w/ the commercial space sector in future. Echo what Kaitlyn said--allied approach important to maintain. #SWFSummit21

Q: How can the US use words like 'supremacy' while also pursuing norms of behavior?
Bowen @bleddb: these are strategic & military doctrine terms. Denying use of space doesn't mean controlling an environment--it means denying offensive use in open warfare situations. #SWFSummit21

Final thoughts:
@Dr_Sadat_USN: Need a national space vision and need to form idea of how, why, and when to designate US space systems as critical infrastructure. #SWFSummit21

@Dr_Sadat_USN Johnson @Kaitlyn_Johns0n: USSF will have to decide how to integrate existing commercial capabilities while balancing the security aspects of using commercial services and software. How to impact requirements w/o stifling innovation or burdening commercial companies. #SWFSummit21

Bowen @bleddb: I will be watching for cultural shift within @SpaceForceDoD in the coming years. Inherited some things from USAF but interesting to see if there will be a greater emphasis on prestige role to the support mission. Will the USSF be the "digital service"?#SWFSummit21

@bleddb @SpaceForceDoD Beard: Norms and identifying bad/ irresponsible behavior is complementary to establishing US space power and presence, not against it. Classification is also a great point--right balance should be struck. #SWFSummit21

Ending the #SWFSummit21 with style--a fantastic keynote from @blal of @NASA. Stresses that the incredible pace of new technologies (including on-orbit services!) & debris population is making space environmental management more important than ever. #SWFSummit21

@blal @NASA Lal @blal: a new internal space debris review team will review NASA's role in space sustainability. The US needs to implement the @WHOSTP45 Orbital Debris R&D Plan released early this year.

(We couldn't agree more! You can find it here:) trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/upl… #SWFSummit21

Lal @blal: The new orbital debris review team will be internal. Its goal is to better determine how @NASA can foster sustainability--moving the focus out from just protecting NASA assets to how we can lead in the broader community. #SWFSummit21 #SpaceSustainability #SpacePolicy

Lal's Q&A and keynote presented a very clear message: #Sustainability-- in space and on the ground-- is a fundamental priority of @NASA under the Biden @POTUS administration. #SpacePolicy #SWFSummit21

VOD will be available here:

With some closing thoughts from @SWFoundation Executive Director Peter Martinez, that's a wrap! #SWFSummit21