INTRODUCTION By Ram S. Jakhu; Session Co-Chair 16 March 2015 1
CONCURRENT SESSION 3-A: SMALL SATELLITES
Slide 2
Definition of a smallsat (cubesat) is controversial However,
the most common definition seems to be the one in the IAA study of
Earth Observation Satellites: Mini satellites are less than 1000 kg
Micro satellites are less than 100 kg Nano satellites are less than
10 kg Pico satellites are less than 1 kg NASA: Cubesat with
typically dimensions of 10 10 10 cm & a mass of about 1
kilogram ----- In addition, Femto satellite is in the 10 to 100
gram range 2
Slide 3
Smallsats are revolutionizing space exploration &
utilization Pioneered by the University of Surry, UK, small
satellites: are being designed and constructed for various
applications, using different architectural designs, radio
frequency bands, power budgets, mostly without propulsion
capabilities, and mainly in Low Earth Orbits, in garages, small
workshops and sophisticated industrial complexes, using simple and
off-the-self parts to highly advanced technologies, by a variety of
players, (e. g. private companies, governments and their agencies,
armed forces, universities, research centers & even
individuals), in the developed and the developing countries, 3
Slide 4
are of different sizes, shapes and weights, are costing from a
few hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, are being/will be
launched by heavy-lift rockets and/or small launch vehicles from
the ground, sea, air and space, are and will soon be growing in
numbers from thousands to hundreds of thousands, are providing
unprecedented opportunities for educational, economic, scientific
and strategic benefits, and thus are revolutionizing space
exploration & utilization, which has just begun 4
Slide 5
Euroconsult: Approximately 510 smallsat worth $7.4bn to be
launched in the next five years (2 March 2015) Of the 510
satellites, 75% will be for government civil & defence agencies
http://www.aerospace-technology.com/news/newssmall-satellites-launch-five-years-
euroconsult-report-4522698
http://www.aerospace-technology.com/news/newssmall-satellites-launch-five-years-
euroconsult-report-4522698 5
Slide 6
Implications for & challenges to the existing space
treaties and national laws Smallsats are major tools for expanding
NewSpace commercialisation HOWEVER, they will have significant
implications for, & pose challenges, to the existing
international space treaties & national space laws &
regulations Key Broad Questions Are: Will in the near future the
currently applicable international and national regulatory regimes
be sufficient for enhancing the benefits of small satellites and
for meeting the regulatory challenges they pose? If not, what
regulatory solutions should be adopted and by whom? 6
Slide 7
Some specific legal issues Challenges in the implementation of
obligation under Article VI of Outer Space Treaty (authorization
and continuation supervision) Challenges in the implementation of
obligation under Article VIII of Outer Space Treaty and
Registration Convention (international registration) Determination
of responsibility and liability Adequacy of sufficient radio
frequencies, their coordination and registration with ITU, harmful
interference, etc. Challenges posed in creation, mitigation and
removal of space debris Lack, inadequacy, and inefficiency of
national legal & regulatory regimes, particularly for national
licensing Difficulty in compliance with national export control
regimes (ITARs) Challenges posed for national security interests
Etc. etc. 7
Slide 8
Panelists Co-CHAIRS: Ram JAKHU (Associate Professor, Institute
of Air and Space Law, Faculty of Law, McGill University - CANADA)
Niklas HEDMAN (Chief of Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section
of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, UN Office at
Vienna, Austria) SPEAKERS: 1. Rene Laufer (Baylor University,
United States) & Scott Madry (Global Space Institute, United
States): Small Satellite Challenges around the World 2. Mazlan
Othman (Academy of Sciences, Malaysia) & Attila Matas (ITU,
Switzerland): Small Satellites: Opportunities and Challenges 3.
Lucien Rapp, Victor Dos Santos, and Adriana Martin (Space Institute
for Research on Innovative Uses of Satellites, France): Entering a
NewSpace Era: What Might Be Expected From Satellite
Miniaturization? 8
Slide 9
Panelists SPEAKERS: 3. Steven Freeland (University of West
Sydney, Australia): NewSpace, Small Satellites and Law: Finding a
Balance between Innovation, a Changing Space Paradigm and
Regulatory Control 4. Michael Mineiro (IDA, Science and Technology
Policy Institute, United States): Regulatory Uncertainty for
Non-Traditional Commercial Space Activities 5. Gokhan Inalhan
(Istanbul Technical University, Turkey), Kemal Yillikci (Permanent
Mission of Turkey to ICAO), Kemal Nazim Ure (Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, United States) & Emre Koyuncu
(Istanbul Technical University, Turkey): The Future of
Micro/Nano-Satellite Based Earth Observation and Communication
Systems 9
