This publication is the final report on a two-year OECD Futures Project devoted to the commercialization of space, the development of space infrastructure and the role to be played by public and private actors. The book explores the contribution space systems might make in dealing with looming societal challenges related to threats to the physical environment and the management of natural resources, growing mobility and its consequences, increasing security concerns, and the shift to the information society.

In addition, it formulates an overall policy framework that OECD governments might use in drafting policies designed to ensure that the potential that space has to offer is actually realized. (nss.org)

Foreword:

This publication is the final report on a two-year OECD Futures Project devoted to the commercialisation of space, the development of space infrastructure and the role to be played by public and private actors (the Space Project).

The project was carried out over 2003-04 and involved 25 public and private participants from the OECD area. It was launched in response to growing concern in many quarters that the potential contribution of space to the economy and society at large was not being fully exploited and that the topic would greatly benefit from policy attention beyond the space community itself.

It was felt that to support the policy formulation process in OECD countries and beyond, there was a need for a forwardlooking, impartial analysis of the role space might play in future and of the actions needed to ensure that space contributes fully to economic and social development. It was further thought that, to ensure genuine impartiality and a fresh perspective, the analysis should be conducted by a “non-space” actor, i.e. by an organisation not traditionally associated with the space sector itself.

Several factors made the OECD a particularly appropriate platform for this project. First, many OECD countries devote a significant amount of resources to space-related activities. Second, most of the key players, both public and private, are located in the OECD area. Third, space applications will increasingly concern domains where OECD governments have major interests beyond their traditional responsibilities for military and scientific fields (e.g. security, environment, education, health, communications and transport). Fourth, many of the policy issues raised by the future development of the space sector (e.g. regulation of markets, industrial and scientific policy, public and private governance) clearly fall within the OECD’s field of competence. Finally, as a non-space actor, as defined above, the OECD can act as an honest broker and offer an impartial forum for addressing space-related issues.

Following extensive consultations in 2002 with leading public and private space actors, the OECD Secretariat formulated in October 2002 a project proposal that was used as the basic roadmap for the study. The project was conducted by a team in the OECD’s International Futures Programme (IFP), a forward-looking, multidisciplinary unit with a mandate to alert the Secretary-General and the Organisation to emerging issues by pinpointing major developments and analysing key long-term concerns, with a view to helping governments map strategy.

The project provides a “non-space” assessment of the opportunities and challenges facing the space sector, particularly in terms of civil applications, and outlines what needs to be done to make its contribution to society at large as effective as possible. ...

Michael Oborne
Director of the OECD International Futures Programme
February 2005

Download Space 2030: Tackling Society's Challenges

PDF format, 3.6MB, 328 Pages. Provided by OECD.

Table of Contents:
Executive Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Chapter 1. A Scenario-based Exploration of the Future
of Space Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Chapter 2. Meeting Societal Challenges: How Space Might Help . . . . . . . 53
Chapter 3. Supply Conditions: Strengths and Weaknesses of Space. . . . 91
Chapter 4. Framework Conditions: Institutional Aspects. . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Chapter 5. Framework Conditions: Legal, Regulatory
and Public Awareness Aspects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Chapter 6. Main Findings and Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 205
Annex A. Case Studies on Selected Space-based Applications . . . . . . 273
Annex B. The Space Project Steering Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   . . 321
Annex C. Experts Involved in the Project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 324
Acronyms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 329

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This book discusses the challenges for developing space applications. It assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the institutional, legal and regulatory frameworks that currently govern space activities in the OECD area and beyond. Finally, it formulates an overall policy framework that OECD governments might use in drafting policies to ensure that space can realise its potential.

ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Pursuant to Article 1 of the Convention signed in Paris on 14th December 1960, and which came into force on 30th September 1961, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shall promote policies designed:

– to achieve the highest sustainable economic growth and employment and a rising standard of living in member countries, while maintaining financial stability, and thus to contribute to the development of the world economy;

– to contribute to sound economic expansion in member as well as non-member countries in the process of economic development; and

– to contribute to the expansion of world trade on a multilateral, non-discriminatory basis in accordance with international obligations.

The original member countries of the OECD are Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The following countries became members subsequently through accession at the dates indicated hereafter: Japan (28th April 1964), Finland (28th January 1969), Australia (7th June 1971), New Zealand (29th May 1973), Mexico (18th May 1994), the Czech Republic (21st December 1995), Hungary (7th May 1996), Poland (22nd November 1996), Korea (12th December 1996) and the Slovak Republic (14th December 2000). The Commission of the European Communities takes part in the work of the OECD (Article 13 of the OECD Convention).

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