in the European Parliament, Brussels
At the hearing, legislators from Africa and the Americas met with European legislators and representatives from the space industry to discuss how best to balance cooperation and competition in the civil and military uses of outer space. The importance of this question has been highlighted by the recent Chinese test of an anti-satellite weapon, the growing problems of space debris, and the increasingly difficult debate on missile defence between Europe, US and Russia.
The e-Parliament held a first hearing in Washington, DC in September 2005, which focused specifically on space weapons and missile defence. It brought together US legislators and members of defence and foreign affairs committees from around the world, representing a wide range of views on the case ‘for’ and ‘against’ space weapons.
The hearing in Brussels on November 7 took a broader view and considered both the military and civil uses of space, the challenges facing each of these two areas as well as the overlap and competition between them. Outer space is often referred to as a new frontier of opportunities for humankind. But it is not limitless, and if everyone is to benefit we must find ways to carefully balance cooperation and competition in this global commons.
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Click here to view a short summary video of the hearing.