Held for the first time ever in the Arab world, SpaceOps 2023 will run until 10 March.
The 17th edition of the International Conference on Space Operations (SpaceOps 2023), hosted by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), continued on day two at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
The second day of the conference focused on topics like space traffic management, creating standards for space missions, the need for exploring legal innovations related to space and collaborative opportunities in lunar missions along with the presentation of abstracts and papers about space technologies, innovations and experiences from around the world.
The day began with a plenary session on Space Traffic Management Needs and Solutions, featuring experts from ESA, Canadian Space Agency, SANSA, EU Space Surveillance and Tracking, Planet Labs, ClearSpace and Secure World Foundation. The session emphasised on the need to ensure safe and sustainable access to space with the rapid increase in the number of satellites in Earths orbit following increased investment in space-based solutions geared towards providing a range of social, scientific, strategic and economic benefits to citizens globally.
Speaking at the session, Michel Doyon, Manager, Flight Operations Canadian Space Agency, said: It is the responsibility of all agencies to manage and maintain the outer space environment, with more regulations and policies being implemented to ensure that all players follow standard practices.
The day also witnessed a keynote session on the Standards and Interoperability for Space Missions Success by Sami W. Asmar, General Secretary of the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) and its NASA delegate as well as Liaison to the Interagency Operations Advisory Group as well as another session on DIFC Courts: Courts of Space by Amna Al Owais, Chief Registrar, DIFC Courts. A special session on Public-private collaboration opportunities in lunar missions was also held during the day, with delegates from ESA, Italian Space Agency, Thales Alenia, Sierra Space, Surrey Space Technologies Limited, Space Copy 3D and Space Lead as the panellists.
In addition to the sessions, attendees also visited the exhibition hall, where companies and organisations showcased their latest innovations and services. The day concluded with a session on Women in Space and speed mentoring, under the Students and Young Professionals (SYP) programme of SpaceOps.
