Harvey Reed, The MITRE Corporation; Ruth Stilwell, Aerospace Policy Solutions, LLC; Brian Weeden, Secure World Foundation; Nathaniel Dailey, The MITRE Corporation; Nick Tsamis, The MITRE Corporation
Keywords: space operations, norms, voluntary compliance
Abstract:
The norm development cycle has an accepted pattern, norms emerge, reach a tipping point to norm cascade and finally, internalization. But we cannot reach the norm cascade without sufficient shared information to operationalize an aspirational norm. Determining the Minumim Viable Information (MVI) set to enable responsible norms of behavior in space is a necessary first step. Anthropogenic risks in the space domain include spread of cyber-attacks (especially loss of operational control), orbital densities, maneuvers, close proximity operations, and debris generating behavior. Characterizing these risks requires sharing and storing trusted and symmetric access to space information regarding RSO (Resident Space Object) orbital position, operational capability (e.g., ability to maneuver), reports of intent (e.g., intent to deorbit), and discrepancies / anomalies. This paper proposes a method to determine necessary information sharing, and a roadmap for experimentation to validate the approach and implementation in an international context.
The method to determine necessary information to share starts with determination of the Minimum Viable Information (MVI) set for each category (position, capability, cyber-attack, etc.) including bounded information that should be shared with the space community, and unbounded information that should not be shared due to proprietary or national sensitive nature. The MVI for risk categories must be shared and stored in a manner that assures trusted and symmetric information sharing in the context of the international space community, such as proposed in Space Information Sharing Ecosystems (SISE). SISE approach provides cryptographically provable attribution of data, with resilience and tamper-evident data qualities.
MVIs shared using SISE enable sensing data and reporting data to be recorded in such a manner that the space community can build a combined picture of operational awareness and risk. Critical anomalies can then be discovered as discrepancy between stated intents and observed behaviors. Such discrepancies between behaviors and practices can inform measures of liability and insurance risk.
The paper concludes with a call to action to pursue an MVI in a sustainability space information category as a starting point. This initial MVI can be implemented using a scaled down SISE prototype as a demonstration to the space community. Such a starting point can energize the space community to tackle more challenging MVIs and start building an operational risk characterization of the space domain. In turn, a trusted and symmetric risk characterization of the space domain can serve as a foundation for norms-based rules in the space domain.
Date of Conference: September 27-20, 2022
Track: SSA/SDA