Prepared & Facilitated by:
Julian Portilla
The following case study outlines the intention and outcomes of a special gathering of inspiring people with distinct backgrounds that unfolded through a unique work/play methodology, hands-on experiences, and focused discussions to inspire new ideas, shift perspectives, and forge meaningful connections.
The problem → The objects floating in Earth’s orbital space play an increasingly important role in our daily lives. Industries such as agriculture, communication and transportation all heavily rely on orbital assets, yet there are practically no rules for operators of orbital assets. As more and more satellites are put into orbit, the probability of collisions rises. A single crash could lead to a chain reaction whose effects could touch almost every aspect of our lives.
The challenge → Uncover the very real problems on Earth posed by the chaos and perils of a steeply increasing number of orbital space assets. What rules, governance, best practices, and industry culture can we create now during what is surely the infancy of this vast industry that can grow alongside our activities as we continually push further and further into space and begin migrating more and more of our human activities to off-Earth territory?
LAB OBJECTIVES
Our goals were to inspire innovation in:
- The ways in which we depend on space for life on earth
- The current governance paradigm of space
- The risks of the increasing crowding of satellites in orbit
- Technological advancement to improve the present & the future
