Space 2030: Tackling Society's Challenges

In coming decades, governments will be increasingly confronted with enduring societal challenges—threats to the physical environment, the management of natural resources, growing mobility and its consequences, increasing security concerns, and a gradual shift to the information society. Tackling these challenges effectively will require consistent, sustained, coordinated efforts over long periods of time. Space-based technology can help in this regard. Space technology offers inherent strengths, such as non-intrusive, ubiquitous coverage, dissemination of information over broad areas, rapid deployment, and global navigation capability. Space systems may be able to provide effective support to public action, if appropriate applications can be developed in a timely manner. Space 2030 explores the challenges for developing space-based applications. It assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the institutional, legal, and regulatory frameworks that currently govern space activities. The book concludes with an overall policy framework for governments to use when drafting policies designed to ensure that the limitless potential of space is actually realized.