1st annual space piracy conference aims to combat space crime and smuggling

Martian whirlwind captured by NASA’s Perseverance rover

The Mars rover Perseverance captured a dust devil moving across the rim of a crater. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

LOS ANGELES - The First Annual Space Piracy Conference, scheduled for early next year, will bring together leading experts to address the growing concerns of crime and smuggling in space.

While space piracy may not involve eye-patched smugglers or talking parrots, experts believe that the future of crime will unfold among the stars.

Space crime conference details

Held by the Center for the Study of Space Crime, Policy, and Governance (CSCPG), the conference is a two-day, invite-only symposium that gathers experts to review crime, piracy, and smuggling in space.

According to its website, the event will be among the first to discuss mitigating space crime and piracy from the perspectives of investment, space law, space policy, intelligence, and the military.

Risks of space piracy

The CSCPG poses a critical question: What are the risks of piracy in space, and what solutions can address this potentially devastating economic and legal problem?

"Now is the time to start thinking and talking about mitigating the threat of piracy in space," said Marc Feldman, Executive Director of the CSCPG. "As we like to say, and please forgive me, Leon Trotsky, but you may not be interested in space piracy, but space pirates are interested in you…"

Feldman, who has extensive experience in the space venture sector, is co-author, with Hugh Taylor, of the soon-to-be-published book "Space Piracy: Preparing for a Criminal Crisis in Orbit."

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base carrying the SAOCOM 1A and ITASAT 1 satellites, as seen on October 7, 2018 near Santa Barbara, California.

Threats to space commerce and national security

While crime and piracy in space are currently theoretical problems, the conference aims to address these issues before they become real threats. "Now is the time to start thinking about the issue and discussing potential solutions," Taylor, publications director of the center, told Space.com. He emphasized that space piracy poses a threat to space commerce and national security.

"Any serious analysis and planning process for the future of space commerce, as well as space aspects of national security, needs to consider the threat of piracy," explains Gordon Roesler, a space system developer and retired US Navy Captain who serves as an advisor to the conference.

Event information and further details

For more information on the event scheduled for next February, as well as the Center for the Study of Space Crime, Policy, and Governance (CSCPG), visit the center's website.

The First Annual Space Piracy Conference promises to be a pivotal event in shaping policies and strategies to combat space crime and ensure the safety and security of orbital activities.