Speaker
Description
This presentation examines the evolving policy and legal requirements associated with the emergence of a new category of space activity, namely space-based data centers designed to support artificial intelligence operations. Initiatives such as Google’s Project Suncatcher, Microsoft Azure Space, Blue Origin’s Orbital Data Centre, Space Exploration Holdings illustrate an accelerating trend toward the deployment of data-intensive infrastructures in orbit, prompting both intensified congestion and a qualitative rethinking of space governance.
Building on the analysis of early-stage projects, the presentation identifies several key dimensions of environmental impact. These include the exponential increase in the number of satellites, adding to an already dense orbital environment, the concentration of such infrastructures in heavily utilized low Earth orbit (LEO) regions, and the emission of heat in near-Earth space. Additional concerns arise from the atmospheric and terrestrial effects of satellite re-entry, including evidence that rocket emissions and re-entry processes may contribute to ozone layer degradation.
The study adopts an interdisciplinary legal approach, combining the analysis of international space law instruments with relevant opinion of the International Court of Justice to assess the broader normative framework governing space activity. It argues that there is a solid legal basis for regulatory responses to these emerging activities, while emphasizing the need to balance environmental safeguards with the avoidance of undue constraints on commercial innovation.
The presentation ultimately aims to contribute to the development of adaptive governance models capable of addressing the environmental externalities of space-based data infrastructures within a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
| Which section would you like to submit your abstract to? | Session 9: “Space debris mitigation policies” |
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