The vastness of space has always been a source of fascination, but as humanity’s reach expands into the cosmos, so do the challenges we face. Associate Fellow Günes Ünüvar’s work sheds light on pressing questions: Is there a risk of being hit by falling satellites? What threats does space debris pose? And why should we consider space as an “environment”?

“If we as humanity more generally and as regulators of space more specifically see outer space as environment, I feel like there are lots of normative, philosophical, political implications following that starting point. What I am trying to do in my research is to explain how we can expand what environment is and how we can incorporate this in the way that we regulate outer space”, states Associate Fellow Günes Ünüvar. He suggests that space, much like terrestrial and atmospheric domains, can be subject to environmental protection measures which may conflict with commercial interests. Beyond the quite imminent challenge of space debris, which has the potential to endanger human beings on earth, many issues of outer space can be analysed through the lens of treating it as environment in different ways, which has  implications on present and future attempts at regulation.

Interview with our Associate Fellow Güneş Ünüvar