Equity in Spacefaring Is a Human Rights Issue

By Rebecca Schembri
Science communicator @rebeccafromreno

Non-spacefaring countries, such as those in Africa and Latin America, are getting left behind as space agencies push the limits of international law.

On Earth, roughly half the world is spacefaring. Although international law calls for space to be the “province of all humankind,” the reality is that only some countries are on track to enjoy the benefits of outer space. This means that non-spacefaring countries do not have a voice in how the celestial bodies — and Earth’s orbit — get portioned out, and that wealthy nations are making decisions for everyone else. With new technology, leading countries such as America, China, and Russia are expanding into space.

Although governing law prohibits land claims on celestial bodies, these leaders plan to build settlements on the moon and Mars. In an affront to international space law, SpaceX has declared that once the American-launched company lands spaceships on Mars, it will appropriate and declare Mars a “free planet,” disengaging from all Earth law.

Therefore, Americans will own Mars while other countries lose out. In addition, the Outer Space Treaty (OST) prohibits privatization of space, but in 2021, Blue Origin, a company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, was one of three companies to receive NASA funding to put a “business park” and other structures in orbit between the moon and Earth. This is funded by the American government. In other words, America is strategizing for prime locations in space.

Amidst this growth, non-spacefaring countries, such as those in Africa and Latin America, are getting left behind as space agencies push the limits of international law. The OST, for example, prohibits the militarization of space, but America teeters on violating this law with its new military Space Force. China is likely militarizing as well, though the country conducts its space activities in secret.

And to the outcry of environmental and human heritage advocates worldwide, over 50,000 satellites — mostly American and Chinese — are currently either in orbit or planned to be in orbit this decade. Billboard satellites that advertise American companies to the entire world are also being launched. This is changing the night sky — which, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a violation of human rights.

Also, though Africa will soon represent one-third of the entire world population, by 2024 the continent will have in orbit at least 49,880 fewer satellites than leading countries. This is a non-equitable approach to human expansion into outer space. Because of space debris, planned satellites will deprive struggling countries of eventually launching technologies that could help with agriculture, water, commerce, and climate change. The leaders in spacefaring are making the first government, military, and private claims in space; regardless of international law, and regardless of the needs of those slower to mobilize.

Although the United Nations is working to make access to space more diverse, inclusive, and equitable, most spacefaring countries treat international equity as a low-priority issue. They say Africa and Latin America must be responsible for themselves, and that if countries want to be involved with the space boom, they can build space agencies. They also say that Africans are not interested in going to space.

But the truth is, while African and Latin American countries are deterred with the humanitarian needs of nearly two billion people who need food, water, and infrastructure, the countries are trying to get to space. If international law calls for “the exploration and use of outer space to be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries,” then this is a real concern for accessibility to space in the future.

Rebecca Schembri is a Harvard University graduate student from Reno, Nevada.

Her concentration is Space Diplomacy.