North County Regional

Conference
UNOOSA
Commercialization of Space
Introduction by Dais

Hello, delegates! My name is Rachel Mendelsohn and I am a Sophomore. I will be your

chair for this conference. I am looking forward to hearing your resolution ideas for an issue that
involves both science and a complex international policy problem. The commercialization of
space is rapidly developing, and is fascinating to see from a UN perspective. I would be happy to
critique your position paper or your speech to ensure that this conference is as successful and
enjoyable as possible for you. Please let me know if you have any questions, and good luck!
rmendelsohn2020@hightechhigh.org

Hello, my name is Sammy Bentley and this is my first time co-chairing

in a formal MUN conference. I am looking forward to helping lead a
successful, intriguing debate. We hope this conference will give you a space
to convey your opinions and thoughts about the topic, SpaceX. There will be
lots of exciting content within this conference and I am here for any help. If
you run into any problems, please email me.
sbentley2019@hightechhigh.org

Vocabulary

Commercialization
the process of managing or running something
principally for financial gain.
Privatization
the transfer of a business, industry, or service from
public to private ownership and control.
Resource Exploitation
The use of natural resources for economic growth.
Outer Space Treaty
A United Nations treaty signed in 1967 outlining
international outer space law
Space Race
A boom in spaceflight technology fueled by military
conflict between Russia and the United States.
Background Information to the Topic

Going to space has been a costly endeavor, one that mainly only
governments could afford. Companies such as SpaceX, however, are
changing that. They are working to make space travel cheaper and more
profitable for the private sector. Progress in this area brings us closer to
futuristic ideas of space tourism, resource harvesting, and perhaps even
colonization. While offering new solutions for societal issues, these
technologies also present new problems at the international level.
The topic of outer space is not new to the United Nations. Indeed, they
created the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in 1962. In 1966, the
Outer Space Treaty declared space the common inheritance of man. The
treaty stresses the importance of exclusively scientific use, and forbids
government sovereignty over any part of space.
Perhaps the UN could not anticipate that one day the private sector
would be so deeply invested in space missions, as well. However, such
missions already began to open up to the private sector. NASA launched the
first privately funded satellite, Telstar 1, into orbit in 1962, five years before
the Outer Space Treaty. Private interest in Space exploration only increased
in the following decades, and the United States legalized independent and
private spaceflight in 2004.
While world powers like the United States may still have leading space
programs, a significant amount of countries have been involved in Space
exploration, scientifically and politically . Over 30% of countries now have
space programs, and 64% have signed the Outer Space Treaty.
In recent years, companies like SpaceX have brought to light that the
treaty may need an update. Some businesses would benefit from changes to
policies such as the altitude at which outer space begins and who is
allowed to own property in space. Virgin Galactic is one of these companies.
For $250,000 dollars, they offer suborbital trips to civilians. The question
becomes whether or not they enter into the domain of outer space, and
therefore must abide by an additional set of international laws. Looking to
the future of space privatization, extraterrestrial resource exploitation is
challenged by current laws of property. Neither government, nor non-
government entity can own property in outer space. In the event that a
company begins to mine for resources on another celestial body, there is no
law preventing another country or company from using that land.
Furthermore, who would be responsible for regulating their activity?
While current extraterrestrial real estate laws by be an obstacle for a
more ethical form of resource harvesting, they may also be protecting future
space programs. Scientific research becomes more difficult when all
reachable land is privately owned. This could also create a disadvantage for
late-blooming space programs.
As the United Nation looks to adapt outer space law to modern
technology, such scenarios must be considered. The benefits of allowing
commercial use of space to compete or coexist with exclusively scientific use
must be weighed with the costs. New laws must be made to promote use of
outer space that is peaceful and beneficial for humankind.
Bloc Positions

Nations with Larger Space Programs:

These nations have used their space programs to assert military power.
Space travel, or support thereof, experiences a downward turn when it is not
seen as an urgent military matter. Economic gain is the new incentive for
exploration. This may be the boost necessary for technological progress.

Nations with Smaller Space Programs:

These nations are generally concerned with equality in space travel. If
space travel were dominated by entities from larger nations, it may be
detrimental to the space programs and authority of this bloc. This would limit
the regions and demographics in which aerospace advancements take place.

Questions to Consider & Resolution Ideas

Questions to Consider:
What does your country stand to gain from relaxed privatization
laws? What does it stand to lose?
Are there private spaceflight companies in your country?
What spaceflight technology is accessible to your country?

Resolution Ideas:
How can/should space exploration be incentivized?
What entity will oversee private space endeavors (National or
international?)
Should private property be legalized in space?
Should resources from celestial bodies be harvested?
Would this be done by the private sector or public
sector?
Procedure
This committee will be set in modern day and abide by standard MUN
format.

Citations
Dunbar, Brian. "July 12, 1962: The Day Information Went Global."
NASA. July 08, 2015. Accessed March 09, 2017.
https://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/features/telstar.html.
Velocci, Anthony. "Commercialization in Space." Harvard
International Review. February 19, 2015. Accessed March 09, 2017.
http://hir.harvard.edu/a-new-empirecommercialization-in-space/.
Robert.wickramatunga. "United Nations Office for Outer Space
Affairs." The Outer Space Treaty. Accessed March 09, 2017.
http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/introoutersp
acetreaty.html
"Outer Space Treaty." U.S. Department of State. Accessed March
09, 2017. https://www.state.gov/t/isn/5181.htm.