Book Discussion – “Scramble for the Skies: The Great Power Competition to Control the Resources of Outer Space”
Event Summary:
The Peninsula Foundation (TPF) conducted an interactive book discussion online on the book “Scramble for the Skies: The Great Power Competition to Control the Resources of Outer space” written by Dr. Namrata Goswami and Lt. Col. Peter A. Garretson on 13th April 2022 at 6.30 PM IST. The distinguished panellists of the event were Dr. Namrata Goswami, Lt. Col. Peter A. Garretson, Dr. V Siddhartha and Dr. Ranjana Kaul. Dr. Goswami is an independent scholar on space policy and Great Power Politics. She has a PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University. Lt. Col. Garretson is a Senior Fellow in Defence Studies with the American Foreign Policy Council and co-director of its Space Policy Initiative and host of the Space Strategy Podcast. He was a founder and deputy director of the U.S. Space Force’s Schriever Scholars Strategy Seminar, America’s premier military space strategy program. Dr. Siddhartha is an Emeritus Scientist in Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). He has previously worked with four Scientific Advisors to the Raksha Mantri for nearly twenty years. He worked as a consultant to the MEA on export control and S&T issues in international security. He has served with various organs of India’s S&T system including the ISRO, CSIR, DRDO, and Dept of Science and Technology (DST). Dr. Kaul specialises in the International Law of Outer Space and advises on specific issues related to the interrelation between International Regulations and Indian domestic policy and regulations. She is an awardee of the IISL 2017 Distinguished Services Award for contribution to the development of National Space Law and serves on the Editorial Board of The Space Journal. The event was chaired by Air Marshal M Matheswaran AVSM VM PhD, President of TPF.
Air Marshal Matheswaran initiated the discussion by setting the agenda for the day and giving a brief overview of the subject, while discussing the role of the resources in the transformation of the geopolitical contest in Astro politics. Lt. Col. Garretson in his introductory remark laid out a general overview of the book, briefly explaining the topics it covers. He attributes the reason the great powers compete for space resources to their ability to alter the balance of power. He elucidated the process adopted in the book, which analysed “how the elite discourse moves to policies and laws, which then moves to funded programs”. He introduces the audience to the concepts of ‘Strategic Culture’ and ‘Strategic Trauma’, along with other terms widely used in the book. While explaining the Geostrategic importance of Space, he quoted Theodore Lowi, an American Political Scientist, as “It is not the actual outcomes but the expectations as to what the outcomes can be that determine the politics”. The resources of the Solar System, he further added, “offer states the opportunity to change the size of their population and territory, their resource endowment, their economic capability and, as a result, their military strength”
Dr Goswami commenced her oration by elucidating the methodology used in the book and the “intellectual epistemic” community conversation on space resources. She elaborated upon the literature survey she did for the book which included tracing the conversation occurring on the issue in the US, China, India and other countries on lunar and solar mining, solar-based power, deep space exploration etc., and their impact on the formulation of policies. Regarding China’s ambitions in Space, she pointed out the field research conducted for the book which classifies the country’s goals into three: investing and articulating space-based solar power, permanent presence in space and investment in human capacity. China, she added, has a vibrant moon programme not due to a desire for a showcase of strength, but for resource utilisation, since it views space from a grand strategic vision. Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, she highlights, Space has become one of the most critical investments for China, which has led to its adoption of China Dream and Space Dream initiatives. India differs from China in its unclear policy vision for investment in space resources and space development, she added. She further discussed various Space Missions of the UAE and Luxembourg, which despite being middle powers have impressive space exploration ambitions/plans.
Dr. Siddhartha commenced his presentation by explaining Beyond Earth Orbit (BEO) anxiety syndrome of the state’s ambitious Space Exploration and extraction of its resources without international collaboration, referring to them sarcastically as “Earthly Juveniles”, along with the three enveloping limits for beyond earth orbits: societal endorsement, demography and values. He also pointed out the conclusion made by the American Academy of Arts and Science in the history of competition for Supremacy in Space, that “the current US space policy threatens the services that are integral to the performance of the global economy as well as military capabilities”. He suggested that India needs to remind the US of the anti-colonial earthly heritage to cure the anxiety syndrome of “Earthly Juveniles”, and to be active as an ideational equal and not a technological superintendent. He further went on to highlight the importance of placing governance of the ‘province of all mankind’ in the United Nations.
Dr Kaul began her remarks by expressing her fascination with the “political constructs” that are evolved using decades-old speeches by politicians. She commented on the tendency on the side of the US for bilateral arrangements despite the fact that it plays a critical role in the UN bodies with respect to multilateral agreements such as the Outer Space Treaty and the Moon Agreement. She expresses her curiosity regarding such a shift in American policy, and how that is linked to President Obama signing off laws allowing companies to mine the extra terrestrial bodies and sell the extracted natural resources. The speaker further went on to explain how, according to her analysis, the Moon Agreement is completely blanked out.
After the note, the floor was opened for discussion. The chair asked the speaker about the competition for space resources, where deep space exploration mandates collaborative effort, when the US – Russia already has had a successful collaboration in the field despite their adversarial relations and also about the exclusion of Russia. Dr Goswami answered that the scope of how many countries could be included in a period of one year as a reason for exclusion of Russia and the book that she will be working on in future on space power and case studies of different nations includes Russia and its space programs. With regard to a question regarding bilateral agreement posed by Dr. Kaul, Dr Goswami answered that it is the outer space treaty obligation and the critical concept of strategic culture. She also states further that there is a big focus on being the country that is able to establish the technology and extraction capability first and that any such activity is not prohibited in the outer space treaty because of the inclusion of the word utilisation in the treaty. She mentioned that any investment in commercial extraction does not result in appropriation and it does not result in military activity in space. It is also a geopolitical move of the US for the bilateral agreement, she added. When asked why Russia was not central to the discourse on Space, Lt. Col. Peter answered that the Russian economy is expected to be behind as it is smaller than France and Germany, while India is expected to rise to the top three power in terms of economy.
The chair posed a further question about whether the struggle for power has an element that is already underway and when looking at deep space exploration the struggle for power utilisation is only about blocking others from reaching their stage. Lt. Col Garretson, in response to the question, stated that every State does maintain some power to prevent other states’ aggression. He also added that nations have different goals with power as an instrument of that goal. He further added that Space Exploration is viable, contrary to what many believe. When asked about the possibility of over-exploitation of resources on the Moon, and whether we need to have a ‘sheriff’ to control and monitor the behaviour of the states, Dr. Goswami pointed out the existence of some conversation regarding the regulation of space resources, though only Greece and Belgium have submitted papers for a committee. She further pointed out the existence of a committee for the prevention of militarization of Space. Lt. Col Garretson expressed his optimism about the regulation of space exploration and preventing corporate interests from exploiting them. He doubted whether carrying capacity exists to carry resources from space to earth. The event came to an end with a note of thanks to the distinguished speakers by Air Marshal Matheswaran.
About the Panelists:
1. Dr. Namrata Goswami – Co-Author of the Book
Independent scholar
Space Policy and Great Power Politics
Dr Namrata Goswami is an independent scholar on space policy and Great Power Politics. Recently, she has been invited to teach at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University for their Executive Masters in Global Management, Space course. In April 2019, Dr Goswami testified before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission on China’s space program. She is the author of the book Scramble for the Skies: The Great Power Competition to Control the Resources of Outer Space.
2. Lt. Col. Peter A. Garretson – Co-Author of the Book
Senior Fellow – Defense Studies
American Foreign Policy Council
Peter Garretson is a Senior Fellow in Defense Studies with the American Foreign Policy Council and co-director of its Space Policy Initiative and host of the Space Strategy Podcast. He was previously the director of Air University’s Space Horizons Task Force, an Air Force think tank for space, and was a founder and deputy director of the U.S. Space Force’s Schriever Scholars Strategy Seminar, America’s premier military space strategy program. He is the author of Scramble for the Skies: The Great Power Competition to Control the Resources of Outer Space.
3. Dr. V Siddhartha
Emeritus Scientist, DRDO
Former Scientific Consultant (Advanced Technologies) to the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Govt of India
Dr V Siddhartha is Emeritus Scientist in DRDO, and retired in 2004 after working directly with four Scientific Advisors to the Raksha Mantri over nearly twenty years. During 2007-09 he served in New York, at the invitation of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, as a member of the Experts Group of the Committee On UN Security Council Resolution 1540. Upon returning, he served in 2009-10 as the Scientific Consultant (Advanced Technologies) with the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Govt of India. Dr Siddharth functioned as a consultant to the MEA on export control and S&T issues in international security, and on the Indian WMD Act 2005. He has also served with the UN Environment Program in Geneva, and also as Secretary of the Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister.
Dr Siddhartha holds a PhD from the Imperial College of Science & Technology, London, and a BTech in mechanical engineering from IIT, Madras. He has served with various organs of India’s S&T system including the ISRO, CSIR, DRDO, and Dept of Science and Technology (DST). He is a founder-member of the Institute of Social and Economic Change, and a member of the Governing Council of the National Maritime Foundation.
4. Dr. Ranjana Kaul
Partner, Dua Associates – Advocates and Solicitors
Expert on International Law of Outer Space
Dr Ranjana Kaul is a partner at Dua Associates – Advocates and Solicitors in New Delhi. Her practice areas include joint ventures and contracts, including company law, FDI, foreign exchange regulations, intellectual property rights and dispute resolution, across sectors. She specialises in the International Law of Outer Space and advises on specific issues related to the interrelation between international regulations and Indian domestic policy and regulations. She has served as Counsel for the Union of India at the High Court of Delhi, and as Counsel for the state of Maharashtra in the Supreme Court.
An affiliate of the International Institute of Space Law, Paris, Ranjana was awarded the IISL 2017 Distinguished Services Award for contribution to the development of National Space Law. She serves on the Editorial Board of The Space Journal.
She holds an LLM from the Institute of Air and Space Law, McGill University, Canada, a Bachelor of Law from the University of Delhi, and a Doctorate from the University of Poona. She also served as a Member of the Delhi State Commission for Women, and has been a consultant to the World Bank, and the Indian Council for Research in International Economic Relations.
About the Chair:
Air Marshal M Matheswaran AVSM VM PhD (Retd)
President, The Peninsula Foundation
Air Marshal M Matheswaran is an Indian Air Force veteran with 39 years of active service. He is the founder- President of The Peninsula Foundation. He is the former Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff responsible for Policy, Plans, and Force Development. The Air Marshal is a recipient of Presidential Awards – AVSM (Ati Vishisht Seva Medal) and VM (Vayu Sena Medal) and a Commendation by the Chief of Air Staff. He has a PhD from the University of Madras, Chennai, an alumni of the National Defence College, New Delhi and is a Senior Fellow in International and National Security from the Harvard Kennedy School.