On the evening of April 28, 2021, the Institute of International and Strategic Studies (IISS), Peking University (PKU) held the 50th "North Pavilion Dialogue" lectures. Gong Zizheng, academic technology leader of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and chief researcher of China Academy of Space Technology, gave a lecture entitled "Embracing stars and sea, creating green space—challenges of global governance of outer space, cutting-edge technologies and prospects". This lecture was presided over by Gui Yongtao, Vice President of IISS, PKU and Vice President of School of International Studies (SIS), PKU.

Mr. Gong Zizheng first briefly introduced the basic situation of human space activities, and pointed out that outer space activities have both strategic, complex, cutting-edge, highly risky, and international characteristics as well as significant political, military, and economic values.

Mr. Gong summarized the risks and challenges faced by the sustainable development of space activities from the following four perspectives.

First, the increasing number of space debris and the frequent occurrence of space collisions pose a serious threat to the security of human space assets. The environment of space debris continues to deteriorate, which may lead to chain impact reaction and the space in the low orbit area will tend to be saturated. Second, the rapid growth of low-orbit giant constellations and the severe deterioration of debris environment have caused competition for orbital resources. At the moment of historic time for China's aerospace development, we cannot sit back and watch the low orbit position and frequency resources being fully occupied by other countries, otherwise the prospect of space development in the future will be squeezed, the status of aerospace power will be challenged and national security will be subject to long-term constraints. Third, new space activities are in full swing, and the competition for space frequency orbit resources is becoming increasingly fierce and extending to deep space. Countries are intensifying the militarization of space and are competing for strategic resources. The "global commons" attribute of space has weakened and its sovereignty is intense. The lack of supervision of the outer space international governance system is facing difficulties. Fourth, the frequent occurrence of near-Earth asteroid threats poses a huge challenge to mankind. Measures to prevent near-Earth asteroid impacts, such as monitoring and early warning, mitigation of impact hazards, and on-orbit disposal should be strengthened.

Mr. Gong proposed that to address the above challenges, space traffic management and space environmental governance should be promoted.

It is urgent to develop space traffic management. Space traffic management is currently led by political and military factors and determined by national strength. Under the concept of a community of destiny, we should improve the existing international space laws, formulate aerospace technology standards, policies and regulations, strengthen self-restraint and mandatory restraint to promote order coordination, provide harmonious services and ensure the sustainable development of space activities.

It is a general trend to implement global governance of outer space. There are blind spots in space traffic management, and active removal of debris is the inevitable choice and the only way out for space environmental governance. Mr. Gong pointed out that space environmental governance should comprehensively use technologies such as monitoring, protection, mitigation, and active removal to purify the space debris environment. At the same time, space traffic management guidelines should be set up to avoid collisions. Environmental governance of space debris is of great significance to national security, aerospace construction and the long-term sustainable development of international outer space activities.

Finally, Mr. Gong made suggestions for the development of China’s space governance: (1) deepen the research on space traffic management at the national level; (2) vigorously promote the demonstration and capacity building of application system for space traffic management; (3) speed up the establishment of space traffic management coordination mechanism to propel the legislative process; (4) deeply engage in international affairs and cooperation related to space traffic management.

In the Q&A session, Mr. Gong exchanged ideas with teachers and students present at the meeting on issues such as China’s space debris removal plan, the radar deployment of the asteroid defense system, the commercial value and military intentions of giant constellations, and institutional development and competition in China’s aerospace sector. (Contributed by Kou Yuqi)

Editor：Li Fangqi    Photographer：Zheng Peijie