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Nau mai, haere mai.
I’m old enough to remember a time when only a few nations had space programmes and competed for access to orbit.
Now, however, as satellite technology continues to surge ahead and space becomes increasingly accessible to private enterprise, we face the new and unsettling threat of space terrorism by non-state actors – without a legal framework to respond.
Terrorism in space is no longer science fiction, writes law expert Anna Marie Brennan. “Groups and individuals once considered insignificant in the realm of space security are now capable of launching cyber attacks on satellites and ground stations.”
International space laws and treaties emphasise peaceful exploration. They don’t contemplate ideologically motivated attacks by rogue groups. They even lack a comprehensive definition of space terrorism.
But recent incidents of satellite jamming to disrupt communications have experts worried that space attacks – whether through hacking or physical destruction – will become more frequent and sophisticated in the coming years. As Brennan writes, without clear rules, humanity risks turning the final frontier into the next battlefield.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, we welcome award-winning journalist Jamie Morton, who joins the Conversation’s New Zealand team as our deputy editor this week.
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