War & Peace and Space: Presentation by Dr Nikita S.W. Chiu

At the peak of the Cold War, the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project demonstrated successful docking of US and Soviet modules in orbit. The project illustrates that international co-operation could be possible even under the most testing political environment. As the Outer Space Treaty which calls for the peaceful exploration and use of outer space celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, the international community witnesses mounting pressure on space resources and competitions in outer space. Against the backdrop of recent debates on the potential establishment of a “Space Force” and UK’s exploration of an alternative satellite system to rival Galileo, can peace in space be sustained or would it be rendered a mere romantic concept?

Dr Chiu is Research Fellow in Robotics and Outer Space at the Centre for Technology and Global Affairs at the University of Oxford. She is also a Research Affiliate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge. Her work examines the impact that technologies have on international relations and the international order, with a specific focus on space and quantum technologies, as well as highly autonomous systems. Combining her teaching background in Chinese foreign policy, security, and global governance, she will investigate the socio-economic and political implications associated with recent space policy developments in the upcoming talk. The presentation will also include an attempt at answering the newly announced £92m question - Can a British Global Navigation Satellite System be feasible?

Reception immediately following