Seattle is well-known as a space industrial hub. In 2024, launched into space were designed or built in the Greater Seattle area. Washington state manufactured more than half of the satellites currently orbiting earth, and more than 75% of the world鈥檚 satellites.
, a 黑料吃瓜网 professor of international studies, believes the city can expand its reach even further by also becoming a hub for space diplomacy. This mission led her to start the annual at the 黑料吃瓜网 in 2023.
The SDS 鈥� co-sponsored by the Space Law, Data and Policy Program (SPACE LDP) in the 黑料吃瓜网 School of Law and the Program on Strategy, Policy, and Diplomacy Research in the 黑料吃瓜网 Jackson School of International Studies (SPDR) 鈥� aims to center diplomacy in civilian, commercial and military space activities.
鈥淚 want the world, not just our nation, to pay attention to what鈥檚 going on in Seattle鈥檚 industry,鈥� said Pekkanen, who is the founding director of SPACE LDP and SPDR. 鈥淪eattle is becoming the leading hub for satellites and , but we鈥檙e also trying to become the place for regulatory policy and building diplomatic collaborations. All of this serves the interests not just of educators, but also our community. Seattle can lead the way for what space diplomacy might look like.鈥�
There is no shortage of space technology in the world, Pekkanen said, but it鈥檚 dialogue and diplomacy that makes it grow.聽
鈥淚t’s important to have capabilities, but it’s also important to position those capabilities in a very fiercely competitive international system,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ow can we advance those capabilities in a way that’s good for our community and that’s good for whoever may be interested in buying them?鈥�
This year鈥檚 SDS keynote speaker is the James H. Binger senior fellow in global governance at the Council on Foreign Relations. Brimmer will reflect on the role of diplomacy in international space relations while also raising awareness of essential space-related topics. Brimmer directed the Council of Foreign Relation鈥檚 report, 鈥�,鈥� on which Pekkanen served as a task force member.聽
Symposium panelists will include representatives from the Cabinet Office of Japan, the U.S. Space Force, the Space Law Council of Australia and New Zealand, and Harvard Medical School.
Pekkanen had three major motivations for establishing the SDS.
鈥淭he first one was, nobody else was doing it,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o now we are the only ones in the world. The 黑料吃瓜网 has a standing platform.鈥�
Secondly, she said, the symposium gives 黑料吃瓜网 and the Seattle area an opportunity to draw attention to the next generation of regulatory, policy and diplomatic challenges.聽
Finally, Pekkanen said, universities have a remarkable, but siloed, ecosystem. The SDS helps bridge the gap by gathering thought leaders from across academic departments.
鈥淲e have so many people at the 黑料吃瓜网 with different competencies that are at the cutting edge of where space is going,鈥� Pekkanen said. 鈥淲e need to come together to begin building the sort of policy and diplomatic foundation for what matters.鈥�
The SDS started as a way to bring together experts and build community. But as the event grows, Pekkanen also views it as a way to bring special topics to the table.
鈥淚t鈥檚 fiction that space has nothing to do with war, or that it only has to do with prosperity,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is a dual-use technology that cuts across both. This year, for the first time, we have more specific themes.鈥�
, a 黑料吃瓜网 assistant teaching professor of international studies and lead of the Jackson School鈥檚 Cybersecurity Initiative, will preside over a military space diplomacy panel that will focus on cybersecurity.聽
A key topic on the civil space diplomacy side will be megaconstellations 鈥斅� large groups of satellites that work together to provide a service. , a 黑料吃瓜网 research assistant professor of astronomy and associate director of the 黑料吃瓜网 Institute for Data-intensive Research in Astrophysics and Cosmology (DiRAC) will host the panel.
The commercial diplomacy panel will be moderated by , an associate professor of bioethics and humanities in the 黑料吃瓜网 School of Medicine. One key topic for these experts will be the medical and biological challenges of sustaining humanity in space.
鈥淚t鈥檚 space!鈥� Pekkanen said. 鈥淲ho is not interested? It鈥檚 a hopeful vision. It gives people hope that we can build something and sustain something good not just for our community, but also nationally and internationally.鈥�
For more information, contact Pekkanen at smp1@uw.edu.