PNNL Leads Space Governance Working Group

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Indiana University will lead a new Space Governance Working Group within the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center, or Space ISAC. Formation of the group was announced at a national conference last month.

The working group was established by Space ISAC at the organization’s 41st annual space symposium in Colorado Springs. The new group brings together experts to discuss and collaborate on the legal, regulatory, and policy landscape shaping the global space sector. 

The development comes at a time when space exploration is flourishing. A growing number of companies are developing launch vehicles, spacecraft, and payloads, and five countries have landed spacecraft on the moon. Earlier this year, humans on the Orion spacecraft traveled further from Earth than ever, circling the moon before returning and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, the push to deploy a fission surface power reactor on the moon by 2030 is driving new research and development into advanced space nuclear systems and radioisotope power systems. Related issues include regulatory readiness, indemnification, and new performance standards. 

PNNL was the first national laboratory to join Space ISAC, drawing on its capabilities in nuclear power, cybersecurity, and technology test beds, in addition to expertise in the legal and regulatory challenges of introducing new technologies into space. 

PNNL researcher Kate Doty, a national security expert, will serve as co-chair of the working group, along with Scott Shackelford, vice-chancellor for research at Indiana University.

“Issues such as launch regulations, indemnification, performance standards, and security norms have a significant impact on technology development and our collective interactions in space. We look forward to seeing future ideas and solutions take shape in this working group,” said Doty.

To learn more, see the Space ISAC news release.