Normative Behavior Incentives for Space Activities: Sustaining Momentum

Abstract

ABSTRACT The preponderance of space activity is no longer dictated by governments; the commercial sector has grown more than 250% in the last decade. With the proliferation of commercial constellations and launches, there is an imperative to determine how best to shape normative behavior in space that works to increase the overall sustainability and security of space. This work aims to answer how the U.S. government can best incentivize widespread compliance with best practices in space that will eventually become norms for states and commercial entities alike. These incentives range from compensatory to punitive, and include a financial component. Without widespread adaptation to a set of norms, the increasing congestion of strategically important space geography will continue to threaten both states and private companies and potentially render these near-Earth orbits useless to future generations.