Blog: To Summit Up...

July was busy!  While it may be a quiet month for many rolling down the hill toward summer holidays, we were climbing the peak of planning for, and then participating in, the Summit for Space Sustainability in Tokyo.

The Summit is an important annual date in our space sustainability calendar and led by our US partner, the Secure World Foundation (SWF).  This year’s event was held in partnership with the Japanese Cabinet Office and during the same week as SPACETIDE, the region’s leading commercial space conference, which broadened the UK delegation’s opportunities for engagement with Japanese organisations.

While many valuable interactions took place throughout the week, the primary focus for our Sustainability & ADR team was the two-day Summit.  Through our sponsorship, the UK Space Agency had various speaking slots in panels and roundtables.

Our CEO, Paul Bate, took part in a keynote with Richard Dalbello of the US Office of Space Commerce – an interesting conversation largely on space situational awareness and their great rapport made even more engaging.  Julie Black, Director of Discovery & Sustainability, joined a panel on space situational awareness, sharing updates on our lunar exploration activities and the Axiom Space astronaut mission.  Our Head of Sustainability, Ray Fielding, participated in another panel on debris remediation discussing our work towards a national debris removal mission and the importance of space sustainability for everyone.

While all these moments ‘in the limelight’ are important ways to showcase UK leadership in space sustainability, the receptive aspect of attending such events is just as beneficial.

A real example of this is last year’s Summit at which the issue of atmospheric ablation – the potential environmental impact of space debris burning up in Earth’s atmosphere – was repeatedly raised.  We acted on this and are currently funding the Universities of Southampton and Durham to identify gaps in existing analysis and how we can mitigate this.  

The summit of my event highlights, though, was meeting the eight scholarship awardees we funded in collaboration with the Space Generation Advisory Council and SWF.  What an inspiring group of students and young professionals!   Coming from Germany, Kenya, Maldives, Uganda and the UK, we were all impressed by their intelligence, ambition, professionalism and passion for space sustainability. 

One of the UK awardees, Ashley Sofocleous, has told us that “The summit highlighted the multidisciplinary nature of the space sustainability challenge, showcasing the collaborative efforts of engineers, lawyers, economists, policymakers, and other space professionals. It was inspiring to see the UK Space Agency playing a leading role in discussions, advocating for space sustainability and supporting innovative companies like Astroscale and ClearSpace in their pioneering space debris removal efforts”. 

Another awardee, Ruth Jebet from Kenya, said “Attending the 6th Space Sustainability Summit was a transformative experience that offered deep insights into global collaboration efforts in space sustainability. The event not only broadened my understanding but also reinforced the importance of international cooperation and innovative approaches to address the challenges we face in ensuring a sustainable future for space exploration.”

SGAC team and Scholarship Awardees, with Liz Cox and Paul Bate from the UK Space Agency,
at the Summit for Space Sustainability 2024, Tokyo

People in traditional dress in Tokyo

And then there’s Tokyo itself.  When I mentioned to friends that I was going in July, their pained expressions said everything … and it was indeed just as hot and humid as everyone said.  However, despite having minimal time to see anything other than the city, its vibrancy – incredible neon everywhere, great food (shrimp and avocado gyoza - oh yes!), and a surprising number of locals wearing traditional dress – melted away the heat.

So, with Summit 2024 successfully complete, we’re swiftly climbing towards IAC in Milan which has ‘Responsible Space for Sustainability’ as this year’s theme.  Watch this space for more information.

• Read SWF article
• Watch recorded sessions on youTube