Developing Standards and Practices. The Model Implementation Agreement requires the States Parties to develop standards and recommended practices (SARP’s) – sometimes called “best practices” – for the development of outer space resources. It does not create a super-agency that will override efforts that have been developing organically, though it does mandate that “standards or practices shall not require technology that is subject to export controls.” Rather, it requires the States Parties work with NGE’s, providing them a seat at the table and a legal foundation for their work. The International Organization for Standards (ISO) [7], the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) [8], the Hague Group [6], the Moon Village Association [9], For All Moonkind [10], and the Space Treaty Institute [11] are examples of such organizations. The Treaty anticipates that there will be ongoing advances in technology that will require a constant updating of standards and practices. It is essential for the States Parties to integrate the work of NGE’s into this process. Otherwise, a vast pool of talent and innumerable hours of work will be wasted. The Treaty and Implementation Agreement will lack organizational support and will likely fail.
Developing Standards and Practices. The Model Implementation Agreement requires the States Parties to develop standards and recommended practices (SARP’s) – sometimes called “best practices” – for the development of outer space resources. It does not create a super-agency that will override efforts that have been developing organically, though it does mandate that “standards or practices shall not require technology that is subject to export controls.” Rather, it requires the States Parties work with NGE’s, providing them a seat at the table and legal support for their work. The International Organization for Standards (ISO)7, the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR)8, the Moon Village Association9, For All Moonkind10, and the Space Treaty Institute11 are examples of such organizations. The Treaty anticipates that there will be ongoing advances in technology that will require a constant updating of standards and practices. It is essential for the States Parties to integrate the work of NGE’s into this process. Otherwise, a vast pool of talent and innumerable hours of work will be wasted. The Treaty and Implementation Agreement will lack organizational support and will likely fail.
Developing Standards and Practices. The Implementation Agreement requires the States Parties to develop standards and recommended practices (SARP’s) for the development of outer space resources. This does not diminish the efforts of private enterprise and international organizations who are already doing so. It is not meant to create a super-agency that will override efforts that have been developing organically. Rather, it requires the States Parties work with NGE’s, providing them a seat at the table and a legal foundation for their work. The International Organization for Standards (ISO) [14], the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) [15], the Hague Group [7], the Moon Village Association [16], and For All Moonkind [17] are examples of such organizations. These organizations include many scientists and engineers who provide a foundation of knowledge, skill, and experience. They use extensive outreach and inclusive working groups to harness the knowledge and expertise of interested parties, particularly industry, academia, and civil society. The Moon Village Association, for example, currently has active workgroups in the areas of Coordination & Cooperation, Cultural Considerations, and Architectural Concepts. [16]
