Normative Behavior Incentives for Space Activities: Sustaining Momentum

ABSTRACT

The preponderance of space activity is no longer dictated by governments; the commercial sector has grown more than 250% in the last decade. With the proliferation of commercial constellations and launches, there is an imperative to determine how best to shape normative behavior in space that works to increase the overall sustainability and security of space. This work aims to answer how the U.S. government can best incentivize widespread compliance with best practices in space that will eventually become norms for states and commercial entities alike. These incentives range from compensatory to punitive, and include a financial component. Without widespread adaptation to a set of norms, the increasing congestion of strategically important space geography will continue to threaten both states and private companies and potentially render these near-Earth orbits useless to future generations.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 “BryceTech – Reports,” accessed June 5, 2022, https://brycetech.com/reports.

2 “Six Elements of Effective Economic/Commercial Diplomacy,” accessed June 19, 2022, https://afsa.org/six-elements-effective-economic-commercial-diplomacy.

3 U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, “Commercial Diplomacy,” accessed June 19, 2022, https://www.trade.gov/commercial-diplomacy.

4 Department of Commerce, “Commercial Diplomacy”.

5 “BP CEO Apologizes for ‘Thoughtless’ Oil Spill Comment | Reuters,” accessed June 17, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oil-spill-bp-apology/bp-ceo-apologizes-for-thoughtless-oil-spill-comment-idUSTRE6515NQ20100602.

6 “Commercial Space Transportation Licenses | Federal Aviation Administration,” accessed June 19, 2022, https://www.faa.gov/space/licenses.

7 “Homeowner’s Guide to the Federal Tax Credit for Solar Photovoltaics,” Energy.gov, accessed June 8, 2022, https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/homeowners-guide-federal-tax-credit-solar-photovoltaics.

8 Erica York, “The Benefits of Cutting the Corporate Income Tax Rate,” Tax Foundation (blog), August 14, 2018, https://taxfoundation.org/benefits-of-a-corporate-tax-cut/.

9 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Space Forum.

“Measuring the Economic Impact of the Space Sector: Key Indicators and Options to Improve Data,” Jan 2020, 4, https://www.oecd.org/sti/inno/space-forum/measuring-economic-impact-space-sector.pdf.

10 “CONFERS,” accessed June 19, 2022, https://www.satelliteconfers.org/.

11 “Total Lobbying Spending U.S. 2021,” Statista, accessed June 19, 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/257337/total-lobbying-spending-in-the-us/.

12 “Space Sustainability Rating,” World Economic Forum, accessed June 20, 2022, https://www.weforum.org/projects/space-sustainability-rating/.

13 BRYCE TECH, “Start-Up Space: UPDATE ON INVESTMENT IN COMMERCIAL SPACE VENTURES 2022,” accessed June 20, 2022, https://brycetech.com/reports/report-documents/Bryce_Start_Up_Space_2022.pdf.

14 “SpaceFund | Funding the Space Revolution,” accessed June 20, 2022, https://spacefund.com/.