Transcript J.N. Pelton - RF Spectrum, The Global Commons Planetary Defense

RRF Spectrum, The Global
Commons & Planetary Defense
McGill University-World Economic Forum
Session on the Economic Benefits of Space
Joseph N. Pelton
Former Dean, International Space Univ. and
former Director of Intelsat’s Project SHARE
July 2013
We should not forget risks to global
economics that come from space
Our survival in space is actually high risk and our
“Global Commons” resources taken for granted.
• Humans travel through space at 66,000 miles per hour
(or about 125,000 kilometers/hour) on a space ship
protected with a thin atmosphere--equivalent in size to
the rind of an apple. It is time we recognize that
humans and all of our increasingly complex machinery
are very vulnerable to cosmic threats. Space programs
that can create a planetary defense are not a frill but
something that are needed to protect human
civilization. RF Spectrum, the Ozone Layer, the Van
Allen belts and the Geomagnetosphe are global
resources of the global commons that are vital to our
survival and all world economic activity.
Space is central to but “hidden from”
most considerations of Global Economics
• Space technology is now essential to coping with climate change,
problems such as the Ozone Hole and other atmospheric and
stratospheric issues. Recently there are signs of “cracks in the
Earth’s magnetic field and changes to the Van Allen’s belts that
suggest serious concerns about cosmic hazards & how they may
increase in coming years. Again the economic impact and risk
levels are outside the scope and even beyond our easy
imagination, but understand that these risks are potentially far, far
greater than the damage caused by weapons of mass destruction.
(i.e. We release the equivalent of 300,000 Hiroshima sized bombs
every day in today’s “normal” global economic activity.)
• I will focus on Spectrum issues as just one issue but orbital debris,
solar flares, coronal mass ejections, or near earth objects could
not only endanger humans, but endanger our modern energy and
information infrastructure that are vital tothe future economic
growth on our planet.
The crater from the 5 km asteroid that
killed the dinosaurs
Typical potentially hazardous Asteroids
Global RF Spectrum
• More than a 1000 Geo, Meo, and Leo Satellites
providing vital services for weather,
communications, broadcasting,navigation,
remote sensing, surveillance and defense
(beyond small and nano satellites).
• Orbital slots in Geo orbit “worth” millions of
dollars (US) per year.
• Spectrum shared with terrestrial wireless
systems. (There are some 20 different ITU
defined services. Virtually all satellites are
communications satellites and require
frequency.)
Problems with Frequency
Management Globally
• Efficient sharing with terrestrial wireless services and now
advent of High Altitude Platforms.
• More and more countries using space applications
• Many developing countries need more spectrum and
spectrum demand growing 40% per year.
• Problems include: “paper satellites”, interference and
jamming (unintentional and intentional), 4th generation
broadband services, hybrid satellites networks, national
exceptions (i.e. asterisks), conflicting requirements both for
sats and terrestrial services, (Should need, vital needs (DR)
or economics rule?), ITU nor COPUOS do not have the
tools, enforcement powers, to deal with escalation
problems. Spectrum today is a brake on economic growth
e.g. ATMs & banking in India, O3b, hybrid satellites, etc.
Solutions ???
• More powers to ITU with ability to impose
sanctions, fines, revoke allocations
• Use of financial mechanisms such as posting of
bonds, greater role for insurance companies with
regard to risk, liability and compensation
formulas.
• Restructure UN mechanisms. Perhaps we might
use the World Trade Organization as a model for
extending more powers to WTO in the space
business arena?