Sarah Erickson

Outer Space Security Conference 2025 → UNIDIR Offers the diplomatic community and experts from industry, the military, academia and civil society a vital opportunity for dialogue on space security.

A great combination of different panel topics spanning:
🔎emerging tech
🚨threats to space systems
🌎multilateral governance
🌜cislunar security
🪃strategic unpredictability
🔭commercial activity

If you haven't yet registered there's still time!
unidir.org/event/outer-...

#os25 #os25 | United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) UNIDIR is proud to announce the winners of the Outer Space Security Conference 2025 Youth Video Competition! 🎉 These four exceptional young voices from around the world shared bold visions for the fu...

Premiere of the 2025 Youth Video Competition with our fantastic partners CIGI.
www.linkedin.com/posts/unidir...

🤝 A keynote conversation with the directors of UNOOSA, ITU, and @unidir.org!

🛰️ A Technology Demonstration - we will have a satellite in the room with wonderful representation from ClearSpace to walk through the workings of space debris capture and more. Guaranteed to be an educational with a follow up discussion including @swfoundation.bsky.social.

What's different at #OS25 this year? Some incredible sessions and updates listed below!

✨ The Starlight Session - featuring Hugo Award winning sci-fi author, Jingfang Hao! The session will explore how storytelling and science fiction can impact governance discussions.

Excited new feature at #OS25 this year!

We will have a model satellite🛰️ in person! If you've ever wanted to learn more about how space debris capture mechanisms work, then I'd suggest tuning into the conference this year.

Register here: unidir.org/event/outer-...

50 years ago today! A great reminder of what political will and cooperation can achieve.
Handshake in space, of the Apollo-Soyuz mission 🤩

Call for Submissions: Outer Space Security Conference 2025 Youth Video Competition → UNIDIR UNIDIR, the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, is a leading research institute dedicated to promoting international peace and security through disarmament. Explore our publications, ev...

Only 2 weeks left to apply!

The Youth Video Competition will bring winners to the UN in Geneva, to attend this year's Outer Space Security Conference!

Please share with young space professionals who would benefit from this opportunity. Apply by July 18!

unidir.org/call-for-sub...

Outer Space Security Conference 2024 Youth Campaign → UNIDIR UNIDIR, in partnership with the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), launched a youth campaign to give the younger generation and future leaders a platform to participate actively in...

Yessss!!! I'm so excited for this year's competition 🌠🌠🌠 For anyone interested in how last year went you can read about it here: unidir.org/outer-space-...

We are bringing back our 🌠Youth Video Competition🌠 for this year's Outer Space Security Conference!

This is a chance for young voices to share their perspective on the future of space security governance.

Winners will be flown to Geneva to attend #OS25 in person!

📆 Apply by July 18!

Come join our team @unidir.org and work with me on space security issues! A graduate professional position is now open!

In Geneva, 6 months with chance of extension. unidir.org/job/graduate...

How does everything just keep getting worse?

New updates to our Space Security Portal! 🛰️

🇧🇧 Barbados
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
🇪🇬 Egypt
🇮🇱 Israel
🇮🇹 Italy
🇳🇴 Norway
🇷🇼 Rwanda
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

Explore how these States are contributing to space security 👉 spacesecurityportal.org

A Lexicon for Outer Space Security Discover UNIDIR's 'Lexicon for Outer Space Security'—your essential online resource for mastering space security terminology. Access authoritative definitions and insights into the legal and policy fr...

🎉🚀 Months of wrangling space jargon in 6 languages and now the digital Lexicon for Outer Space Security is finally LIVE! A living hub to keep diplomats, engineers & analysts on the same page. Proud to have helped build it. Explore 👉 spacesecuritylexicon.org

And a take away that still rings true beyond all.

Some points that I wish were still relevant, "lead by intelligent and responsible men" RIP. But the latter half of this statement can not be said loud enough.

Many points, esp on dual use aspect of space systems still extremely relevant.

Report of the Committee on Disarmament [1982 session], appendix 3, v. 7 :

If you want to nerd out and read the remarks you can find them here starting on page 13.
digitallibrary.un.org/record/70013...

Ok here's a very niche bit of history that is new to me.
🌐UN Sci-Fi🌌 worlds collide.
Arthur C. Clarke spoke to the Conference on Disarmament on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space in 1982. (Technically it was the Committee on Disarmament since the CD wasn't born yet but not important).

Did you know that Ecuador ratified the Registration Convention last month? Welcome Ecuador!

spacesecurityportal.org/states/ecuador

We have these updates and more for many new profiles that have since been added to the Space Security Portal.

Winners of UNIDIR's Outer Space Security Conference 2024 Youth Video Competition were invited to Geneva to engage with space security experts and the diplomatic community 🌍🚀 #OS24

📖 Find out more about their perspectives, experiences and insights! 👇

Rocket Lab's secretive launch last month was a hypersonic test for the US military (photos) "Rocket Lab’s test platform showcased a new suite of cutting-edge technologies optimized for hypersonic technology tests with vastly increased payloads."

The mission also successfully delivered 5 satellites for French company Kinéis. Another interesting example of how NewSpace is shaping the future of space security by providing dual-use services, research and development. www.space.com/space-explor...

Mission Success for Rocket Lab’s Latest Suborbital Hypersonic Launch | Rocket Lab *Long Beach, Calif. 09 December, 2024.* Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today announced it successfully launc...

Rocket Lab's latest launch was confirmed to also be a suborbital mission to test hypersonic technology for DoD. www.rocketlabusa.com/updates/miss...

We have a space governance podcast series, produced by @amelia-millsstudio.bsky.social featuring international experts.

Check out our space security mini-series featuring @saraherixson.bsky.social, @vsamsondc.bsky.social, Almudena Azcárate Ortega and Jessica West. Tune in here: shorturl.at/4EEc2

We'll see if they deliver (pun intended) on their promises and what that entails. 6/6

But it still provides an interesting case of defense spending and security risks providing a financial safety net for struggling space launch startups and again raises question of how NewSpace impacts strategic security. Esp if there are claims to innovating missile defense. 5/

Although in this case there aren't immediate risks or concerns about proliferation, given the companies launch map ablspacesystems.com/gs0/#commerc... and apparent cooperation with U.S. gov. 4/

The Expansion of the NewSpace Industry and Missile Technology Proliferation Risks This SIPRI Report presents and analyses a pilot study on the spread of NewSpace companies developing, testing, producing or marketing missile-related technology and develops policy recommendations for...

There has been great recent work in this area by
@koljabrockmann.bsky.social
and Lauriane Héau mapping risks of NewSpace and missile proliferation of small and micro launchers. doi.org/10.55163/CZS... 3/

We hear concerns over whether missile capabilities can be produced under the guise of peaceful space programs. However there are normally indicators that would be able to dispel whether a program was intended for space launch or not. 2/

ABL Pivots To Missile Defense "We see considerable opportunity to leverage RS1 ... to enable a new type of research effort around missile defense technologies."

Some interesting news. ABL Space Systems is pivoting to missile defense from space launch services. Why is it interesting? This is the first case I know of like this, where a co. with dedicated launch intent transforms to missile services. 1/ payloadspace.com/abl-pivots-t...