In aviation strategy and national space policy, the government outlines how it plans to develop the local space sector by launching rockets and satellites and promoting Earth observation research. The documents outline the government’s overall priorities for “protecting New Zealand’s national interests” and “responsible use of space”.

Sustainability is central to both strategy and policy, but can be used interchangeably in three different contexts:

• “supporting” the economic development of the industry
• Explain the benefits of aviation technology for sustainable development efforts such as climate change monitoring
• To explain the environmental impact of aerospace activities, most focus on space litter while reducing emissions (though the latter is primarily a concern of the aerospace industry, not space).

When part of India’s newly launched rocket landed on the shores of Australia last month, it caught people’s attention and reminded us that Earth’s orbits are a waste of human effort in space. Space debris poses a long-term threat to space activities and the Earth’s environment. But sustainability must be targeted more broadly than the contamination of Earth’s orbital space.

Our new research offers important recommendations for expanding our view of sustainable land use, and it may reveal unforeseen risks and opportunities for companies, governments, communities and indigenous peoples.

What does sustainability mean in space?

The worsening effects of climate change and the loss of biodiversity have taught us that, in retrospect, we cannot easily clean up our mess, and that pollution has consequences that last for generations. But the idea of ​​sustainable development often lags behind as we continue to compromise environmental, social and cultural well-being for the sake of economic development. Part of the problem is that it’s unclear what we mean by sustainability.

Sustainability is not covered anywhere in New Zealand’s aviation strategy or documents. What is included, what is excluded, and whose sustainability concept do we work with? Without clarity, it is difficult to develop methods and goals for sustainable development or to be held accountable for failure to achieve them.

Balance priorities with values

It is also difficult to draw parallels between different information systems or sectors. But it can help us avoid the mistakes that lead to current climate and biodiversity crises. How economic priorities are balanced with values ​​through a holistic connection with the earth, sea and sky is already ingrained in many indigenous cultures around the world, including the Maori.

The founding documents of Aotearoa New Zealand describe the coexistence of two distinct authorities: the Maori represented by the hapu (the main political unit in traditional Maori society at the time Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed) and the British Crown. While national space policy aims to recognize and reflect Māori interests in the space sector, it is unclear how these interests will translate into a true partnership approach in decision making.

Our research provides guidance on how to assess what we are trying to ‘support’, to whom and over what period of time, what the needs are and who should be at the decision-making table.

Earth, its atmosphere and not only

Do we only consider our future activities, including planetary exploration and asteroid mining, on Earth or beyond? Closer to Earth, commercial satellite technology is now well established as a method of observing our planet from space. It helps monitor weather and climate impacts and provides important telecommunications services. So what is the price of ecology for the Earth?

There are currently no mandatory regulations for the space industry to report greenhouse gas emissions or take into account the life cycle environmental impacts of its products. Without this information, how can we make any cost-benefit calculations on Earth or elsewhere?

We’re getting better at sending objects to Mars and even to the edge of the solar system in a single trip. Is space ultimately a dumping ground for the waste of human activity?

Society and culture

For thousands of years, the night sky has been a sacred environment for humans, a storehouse of knowledge and a source of communication. It is now threatened by an increase in light pollution from mega-satellite constellations and a buildup of space debris. Oral histories of Aborigines in Australia provide a unique insight into what the sky looked like more than 10,000 years ago and what it teaches us about human history. In Aotearoa, the current revival of Māori astronomical traditions symbolizes the necessary bicultural constitutional foundations for the rapidly developing space sector, as outlined in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

This foundation means having a real partnership with the indigenous peoples, the tangata whenua. This means that Māori voices are welcomed and respected in the decision-making process and what we decide to do in space. The Maori are already paving a new path to space and deep technology. They receive substantial funding and inspire the next generation of rangatahi (young people) to become professionals in space while developing their Māori astronomy. Expanding our view of sustainability could be the difference between repression and recognition of Māori interests in the local space sector.

So far, space exploration has increased competition. Throughout history, it has been supported by cold wars and national pride without considering the consequences. But it’s time to rethink that and start thinking of space as a collective that is more than a resource to be exploited. Space is what we all deal with in our pale blue dot. Source