State Releases Space Diplomacy Framework
The State Department laid out a space diplomacy framework Tuesday that it said would help guide the agency as it pursues such space goals as increased resilience, space safety and security cooperation, promotion and encouragement of responsible behaviors. It said the framework involves bilateral and multilateral engagement, plus using U.S. space activities for wider diplomatic goals. The framework also has State pursuing more international cooperation in the use of satellite applications such as remote sensing and space-derived data for use for climate change, arms control and economic competitiveness. State said it will provide staff with skills and tools for space-related policy to allow, for example, broader use of space-related data. Applauding the framework, the Satellite Industry Association pointed to "the report’s appreciation for the need for both traditional diplomacy as well as engagement with the U.S. and worldwide commercial space stakeholders."