Space week report: India leads the way

 

Photo from one of several national peace in space conferences organized by J. Narayana Rao from Nagpur, India. (Click on the photo for a better view)

 

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week two space issue webinars were held in India at two different institutions of higher learning.

They were both hugely successful - at one 75 students and faculty attended the webinar and the second one was even larger with 103 students and faculty attending.

The first was organized by Dr. Sandeepa Bhat B, Professor of Law and Director of the Centre for Aviation & Space Laws, The WB National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, West Bengal.

The second webinar was organized by Dr. Aruna Kammila, Associate Professor at Galgotias University near New Delhi. She Chairs the Master of Laws program and is Head for Post Graduate Legal Studies. Aruna also serves on the Advisory Board of the Global Network.

Speakers representing the Global Network during these two days were GN board members Dave Webb (UK), Subrata Ghoshroy (Boston), Tamara Lorincz (Canada), Karl Grossman (New York), Aruna Kammila (India), and Bruce Gagnon (Maine).

We thank both Dr. Bhat and Dr. Kammila for extending this kind invitation to the Global Network to meet with those from their institutions.

India is becoming a major force in space operations (it launched an anti-satellite test in 2019), and while officially opposing weapons in space, India sees the US, Russia and China increasing their military space forces and feels it must react.

Thus the world moves closer to a hair-trigger situation as we face the growing possibility of war in space.

Much of these two webinars was devoted to speaking about the growing problems of space junk and pollution from rocket launches. In addition considerable discussion was held about the need for greater focus on space laws that can regulate and restrict the worst inclinations of humankind.

The fact that both of these law schools are diving into this issue is very exciting for the Global Network. We've seen no evidence yet of any western law schools (especially those that focus on space issues from a more corporate perspective) having any interest in working with those of us who are organizing to stop the weaponization and nuclearization of the heavens.

We must give much credit to former GN board member J. Narayana Rao from Nagpur, India who is most responsible for these current events as a result of his tireless work over many years of sharing the Keep Space for Peace message throughout his country. 

He is truly the father of the peaceful space movement in India.

Bruce 

An update:

Just this morning I received an email from one of the students who attended one of the webinars I described above. Needless to say I am quite happy.

She wrote in part:

      "Sir, I want to convey that your presentation inspired me in a lot of ways and I thought of exploring more about the nuclearisation and the conflicts happening in the outer space.
       I took this as my project to make aware of all my peers to know about this conflict. So for my references and to have a deeper view, I request you to send me the presentation of yours sir to have a deeper understanding with your blessings and if you can help me, I want you to give me some tips regarding this project about how can I take it to the next level sir."