Satellite Industry Talks Sustainability – But What Will It Take to Bring Real Change? 

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Satellite Industry Talks Sustainability – But What Will It Take to Bring Real Change? 

LONDON — The space industry needs to get serious about sustainability and not just pay lip service to it, industry leaders agreed last week at the the Royal Aeronautical Society conference: Leading Global Change through the Earth & Space Sustainability Initiative (ESSI), held in London.

Joanne Wheeler, partner for Wear & Alden, said in a keynote that the choices the industry makes in the next decade in terms of space sustainability will have long-term consequences.

“There is an urgent need for international engagement,” Wheeler said. “We need to include industry, insurance and finance industries. The Earth & Space Sustainability initiative aims to ensure the sustainable use of outer space covering the lifecycle of a satellite, taking a more holistic approach. We need to attract greater and wider investment into the space industry, but this has to be done through robust sustainability criteria.”

She believes better regulations will encourage more investment in the industry, citing that investors are increasingly demanding ESG [environmental, social, and governance] plans.

Wheeler looks at the space sustainability issue from a legal perspective. She pointed out there is no concept of “international crime” for pollution in outer space. However, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has discussed harm to future generations, and this could include the degradation of the space environment. Wheeler highlighted an example in Belgium where the law could be about to change. Article 96 of the new Belgian Criminal Code includes the crime of “ecocide.” This relates to “the intentional destruction of the natural environment, and this includes outer space. This is a really interesting concept,” Wheeler said.

A more sustainable approach to space could have a positive impact on insurance companies that seem to be getting more nervous about insuring space assets, with many pulling out of the sector due to the ‘wild west’ nature of putting assets in space.

David Wade, space underwriter for the Atrium Space Insurance Consortium said that while London is still a hub for space insurance, the current state the space insurance market is “fragile.”

“Some insurers are withdrawing from the market. Insurance is there to support the availability of finance. The confidence of insurers is very low thanks to the congestion we are seeing in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO). I think having [sustainability] standards will help increase confidence. We also need to see enforcement of these standards. We have guidelines but we don’t see things being enforced. Seeing this would help build the confidence of insurers.”

Wheeler also talked about ensuring a better insurance risk through objective due diligence criteria, better verified data and greater focus towards reliability and sustainability.

Bruce Carnegie-Brown, chairman of Lloyds also shared concerns about space debris impacting the space insurance market.

“Let’s not screw up space the way we screwed up the planet,” he said. “We want to make sure insurance is sustainable and avoidable. Insurance will help the space economy invest in new technologies. We are supporting startups to fight this head-on.”

Brooke Latham, head of sustainability for NATO Investment Fund gave an interesting take on space sustainability from an investment perspective. The NATO Investment Fund focuses on technologies for both civil and military use and has invested in in well-known space startups such as Isar Aerospace, a German launch company and Simera Sense. Latham said the fund made 12 investments last year and it is important to build U.K. and European capabilities in the area of sustainability. “Where do you find that balance between innovation, sustainability and regulation? You will be able to unlock more capital if you have sustainability standards,” she said.

Latham also spoke about the need to have a greater patience towards investments in space. She added, “Space investment has traditionally been from government. The space industry will not have the same returns as a SaaS company, for example, so there needs to be a change in mindset when investing into space companies.”

Bringing the industry point of view, Amber Charlesworth, senior manager of Space Projects for Amazon‘s Project Kuiper agreed that the industry needs to collaborate more.

“We need a mechanism to bring all the stakeholders together. I think it starts in the design, operations and manufacturing phase. Satellites should be trackable. We think governments can play a. Political will does need to be there.”

The Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA) has a play as it looks to bring various stakeholders together. GSOA Director General Isabelle Mauro, Director General, GSOA said that ad the industry grows, more cooperation is needed. “We need to find the right frameworks for innovation to marry with sustainability and equity. We need to work together to implement key sustainability practices,” she said.

Mauro also spoke of the importance of engaging more with the scientific community, and looking at the impact of satellite re-entry into the atmosphere.

While there is a lot of talk at conferences about space sustainability, what will it take for the industry to take more serious action? A number of speakers think will likely take some catastrophic event to really bring about the change that many feel is needed right now.

Melissa Quinn, general manager and managing director of Slingshot Aerospace said the company is seeing 17% year-on-year growth in avoidance events in orbit. “There will be an incident that will shake the world up. Something that will impact the public,” she said.

Wheeler said a series of incentives need to align to bring about change.

“We cannot wait to address this issue any longer,” she said. “Industry, insurance and finance must be part of the solution. Data sharing is vital as is a data-driven methodology. Sharing of contact information should be encouraged. Incentives can be created through insurance, finance, market access, and licensing.”

The post Satellite Industry Talks Sustainability – But What Will It Take to Bring Real Change?  appeared first on Via Satellite.

February 3, 2025 at 10:03PM
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Rachel Jewett