Responsible Space Exploitation Workshop - Day 1

Sustainable exploitation is crucial if we want to maintain our reliance on space capabilities, to avoid global political disharmony, and for the success of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. For example, thousands more satellites are launched every year; emerging futuristic ventures such as asteroid mining, establishing moon bases and manufacturing in space each pose political and legal and cultural and ethical challenges beyond the obvious technical ones. It is now critical to explore conceptualisations (and perhaps define and measure) space sustainability, globally, and to influence the actions of current and future players.

This is a cross-disciplinary agenda, requiring expertise from all areas of academia and industry. We hope to bring together a diverse range of contributions to explore this topic.

The workshop will offer some keynote presentations from selected experts in the field along with shorter presentations from delegates. Group work sessions will problematize the notion of 'sustainable exploitation' by creating scenarios in the context of 'near horizon' developments, in order to identify tensions, problems, agents and agency.

The organisers aim to publish something of value, after the conclusion of the workshop, which can include a collection of papers, a position paper or an edited book.

Schedule

Wednesday 9th March

10:00 – 10:10 Colin Bain
Welcome to Durham

10:10 – 10:30 James Osborn, Durham University
Introduction to workshop

10:30 – 11:00 Martin Ward, Durham University

Directed Panspermia: Could we do it? Should we do it?

11:00 – 11:30 Tea/coffee break

11:30 – 12:00 Mitch Hunter Scullion, Asteroid Mining Corporation Ltd
Asteroid Mining and the Economics of Space Resources

12:00 – 12:30 Enrico Stoll, Technische Universität Berlin
Additive Manufacturing Technologies on the Moon

12:30 – 13:00 Kit Lee, Manufacturing Technology Centre
How Robust is the UK Space Supply Chain ECO system?

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch

14:00 – 14:15 Kiran Fernandes, Durham University
Can we understand how stakeholders should be mapped for responsible space exploitation?

14:15 – 15:30 Workshop activities 1: Atanu Chaudhuri and Jim Ridgway, Durham University
Introduction

1. How can we define responsible space exploitation?
2.  How can we define irresponsible space exploitation?
3. Plenary presentation by groups

15:30-16:00 Coffee Break

16:00 – 17:00 Helen Schell
A Slice of the Moon

Registration
Please use the link below to register either virtual or in-person attendance.
https://forms.office.com/r/GjN7PDG0DQ 

If you have any questions then please contact the organisers below:

Organiser Contacts 

James Osborn: james.osborn@durham.ac.uk 
Atanu Chaudhuri: atanu.chaudhuri@durham.ac.uk 
Jim Ridgway: jim.ridgway@durham.ac.uk