Policy Brief No. 195 — February 2025
Simple Steps Space Companies Can Take to Increase Transparency and Trust Daniel Porras
Key Points → The emergence of in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities, particularly from Western-based commercial actors, is adding to geopolitical tension among rivals in orbit. → Much of this mistrust is, understandably, rooted in the strong and multi-layered relationships between governments and the commercial space sector. → At this time, there is little guidance from international or national sources on how to ease the tension around ISAM activities, leaving open the potential for ISAM missions to create misunderstandings and, potentially, escalation. → Despite no official rules, private actors can adopt simple, low-cost transparency measures to ease global worries about ISAM activities and create a more sustainable space environment.
Introduction The rise of in-space ISAM capabilities is a new source of geopolitical mistrust and strategic tension. ISAM capabilities, facilitated by advancements in robotics and automation software, include activities such as debris removal, satellite inspections and even repairs. However, these same services can also be employed for military purposes, including both defensive and offensive ones. For example, a satellite that can remove debris could also remove a functioning satellite. It is impossible to know what a particular spacecraft can do with current space-tracking technology. As such, new ISAM spacecraft create suspicion among military rivals, particularly China, Russia, the United States and other Western allies. This mistrust is felt in particular around the activities of commercial ISAM enterprises, which can often be seen as an extension of their home governments. The intimate relationship generated through regulatory and commercial links means that governments such as the United States are creating demand for ISAM services. The character of this demand is often revealed in national policies, many of which now include commercial ISAM capabilities as part of their strategic military road maps. It does not help that, in the absence of guidance from their governments, many ISAM start-up companies are willing to explore new offensive ISAM capabilities.