A Major Impact

Exploring space involves launching satellites which create debris. The international community is working on the process of debris mitigation and traffic coordination to avoid interference and future collisions. Though technical regulations exist, there are no binding regulations nor enforcement mechanism in space. Information sharing and data collection, particularly from as many sources as possible, are critical to heightening space situational awareness and reducing the potential for conflict in space. P.J. Blount, J.D., LL.M., M.S., Ph.D., is a lecturer in law at Cardiff University in the UK and executive secretary of the International Institute of Space Law. He has published and presented widely on space security law and has given expert testimony on space traffic management before the U.S. Congress. As the fourth season of the Discovery podcast takes off, Dr. Blount addresses the challenges of international law and geopolitical tensions in creating a sustainable space environment and explains why space traffic management is a future-oriented idea. He shares his hopes for future communication and data collection among states, as well as de-escalation of competitive interests, so that we can all benefit as a global community from space as a precious resource.