Challenges in Sustaining Space as a Resource

NASA defines space sustainability as “… the ability to maintain the conduct of space activities indefinitely into the future in a manner that is safe, peaceful, and responsible to meet the needs of the present generations while preserving the outer space environment for future activities and limiting harm to terrestrial life.”¹

Exploitation of space has exploded in the last decade. Some facts and figures²³:

• 2,781 commercial satellites were deployed during 2023 – a 20% increase over 2022;
• 9,691 active satellites in orbit in 2023 – a 361% increase in five years;
• 15,000 – the number of satellites that SpaceSail (China) plans to have orbiting by 2030;
• 42,000 – the number of satellites that SpaceX plans to eventually have orbiting;
• $400B – the revenue of the global space industry.

In theory, space is infinite. In practice, it is not. Practical and physical limitations of the space environment necessarily funnel space missions into a handful of orbital regimes and spectrum bands. As barriers to entry continue to fall, the competition for these limited resources results in orbital congestion and the risks of both harmful radio frequency (RF) interference and physical collisions, the latter of which results in debris fields which further increase the risk of collisions. International cooperation and intelligent operational regulations are required to preempt the potentially devastating effects of unsustainable practices and unbridled exploitation.

Silicon Flatirons is organizing a conference in Boulder, CO on June 24-25, 2025 to explore the challenges in maintaining space as a resource. The conference will bring together experts from the scientific, commercial, regulatory, and defense sectors to look out over different time horizons and discuss questions such as:

• How might we manage radio frequency (RF) spectrum, in space and terrestrially, to avoid harmful interference between scientific, commercial, and defense systems?
• What challenges do mega-constellations pose to space sustainability? What policies and regulations are required to manage RF spectrum conflicts between multiple satellite systems? What is the carrying capacity of space?
• Space is a relatively new domain for spectrum management with different characteristics than the surface of the Earth. Is this an opportunity to re-write the book on spectrum management?
• What policies and regulations are required to sustain space as a common resource? Areas to regulate would include: traffic management; end-of-life disposal; debris management; and recycling.
• What role does standards play? What enforcement mechanisms are necessary to ensure compliance in an international regime? Between penalties and incentives, which is more likely to modulate stakeholder conduct?
• Dark and RF-quiet skies are important for a variety of terrestrial concerns. For example, for many indigenous people, the moon and stars are part of their mythology and culture. Professional astronomers and amateur sky-gazers alike wish for pristine skies. How do we balance these concerns?

The Challenges in Sustaining Space as a Resource Conference will be hosted by Silicon Flatirons. The results of the Conference discussions will be documented in a report.

¹ https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/OPD_Docs/NPS_1001_111_.pdf
² https://sia.org/commercial-satellite-industry-continues-historic-growth-dominating-global-space-business-27th-annual-state-of-the-satellite-industry-report/
³ So long and thanks for all the space junk: China-based Starlink competitor SpaceSail plans to have 15,000 satellites deployed by 2030, and it’s not the only one with its eyes on the skies

Registration coming soon.