Interdisciplinary Approaches to Governance Beyond Earth

Drawing on the in-depth engagement with the geopolitics of outer space, the Academy‘s former annual focus topic, the Academy of International Affairs NRW is happy to announce the forthcoming publication of its first edited volume. The co-edited book on “Responsibility in Outer Space. Interdisciplinary Approaches to Governance Beyond Earth” will come out in early 2027. The book reflects on and advances current debates in key fields of outer space governance against the background of growing geopolitical tensions, rapid technological developments and the commercialisation of space. The aim of the book is to analyse what concepts and practices of responsibility shape outer space governance. The individual chapters introduce different philosophical, legal, political and practical understandings of responsibility, and examine how these influence the actions of relevant actors as well as the development of international rules and standards. The group of authors includes experts from both academia and the public and private sector, who have engaged with particular challenges of outer space governance systematically. Because of their particular relevance, the authors focus on three key areas: the exploration and use of space, environmentalism and sustainability, and geopolitics and security. Building on different notions of responsibility, such as accountability or respect the multidisciplinary approach to some of the most urgent current and future questions highlights a variety of aspects that show how outer space governance can to be shaped. In establishing responsibility as a key analytical and normative perspective, the edited volume can be seen as an academic and practice-oriented intervention that helps to envision a just, sustainable, peaceful and effective governance of outer space.