We are hosting a parliamentary meeting on the topic of “Banning Destructive Anti-Satellite Tests: Necessity and Possibility.” The aim of the event is to promote professional exchange between members of the Bundestag and other interested parties from academia, politics, and industry. In keeping with the topic, we are particularly pleased to welcome members of the German Bundestag’s Aerospace Parliamentary Group to this meeting.
Our fellow Adam Bower, Senior Lecturer of International Relations at the University of St. Andrews and one of the leading experts in this field, will open the event with a keynote speech. In his keynote, Adam Bower will address the challenges posed by the accumulation of space objects and the development of anti-satellite weapons (ASAT). On the one hand, humanity is highly dependent on satellite-based services, but on the other hand, these services threaten the security and sustainability of space activities.
He advocates a global ban on tests with weapons that specifically destroy satellites in orbit – especially in light of increasing geopolitical tensions and scepticism about a future multilateral security policy. According to Bower, a ban on further kinetic ASAT tests would eliminate a significant source of space debris and reduce future risks for all spacecraft operators. He will argue why he considers such a ban not only necessary but also possible.
Info:
Adam Bower
Associate Fellow AIA NRW; Senior Lecturer, University of St Andrews
Adam Bower was co-founder and director of the Centre for Global Law and Governance and is a member of the steering committee of the Institute for Legal and Constitutional Research. He is a member of the St Andrews Centre for Exoplanet Science, a fellow of the Outer Space Institute, a global network of transdisciplinary space experts, and a member of the management team of the Scottish Council on Global Affairs. He researches the development of international norms and laws and their impact on the containment of forms of armed violence.