Progressing our broader space interests
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Supporting the objectives to grow our space sector, the following principles will inform New Zealand’s international space engagements and the development of future space policies.
Protecting and advancing New Zealand’s national security interests
The space domain enables a deeper understanding of New Zealand’s strategic environment, including improving the timeliness of information on security issues. The New Zealand government will continue to use space-based assets and capabilities to protect and advance New Zealand’s national security interests, which includes New Zealand’s economic wellbeing, the security of our Pacific partners, and a strong and effective international rules-based system. Currently we rely heavily on space assets owned by international partners for this use, however, we will explore developing sovereign space capabilities to enhance New Zealand’s national security and to contribute to our international security partnerships.
Alongside developing our own space capabilities, we will expand operational space cooperation with our international defence and security partners to support New Zealand’s national security and contribute effectively to collective security efforts. The potential for conflict in space creates additional risks to New Zealand’s interests, including the potential for disruption to critical national infrastructure that needs to be understood and managed.
Regulating to ensure space activities are safe and secure
The key purpose of the Outer Space and High-altitude Activities Act 2017, which governs space regulation in New Zealand, is to facilitate the development of New Zealand’s space industry and provide for its safe and secure operation. This includes preserving New Zealand’s national security and national interests and adhering to our international obligations relating to space activities. The government will continue to facilitate an enabling environment for space technologies in New Zealand, to encourage their uptake and integration, alongside fit-for-purpose regulation.
Along with safety and ensuring we comply with our international obligations, national interest is an important part of the licensing and permitting process for space activities. New Zealand’s broad interests are consistent and enduring. When assessing the proposed operation of payloads, broad consideration of national interest is required to assess and respond to changing domestic and international circumstances and ensure New Zealand’s interests can be considered as applicable at the time. Payload permit applications, including those with national security applications, will continue to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
National interest considerations
Promoting the responsible uses of space internationally
New Zealand will continue to advocate for effective international rules, norms and standards in space. New Zealand is party to the main international space treaties which are reflected in our domestic laws and policies. Although these international agreements provide the legal framework for space activity, the global space context has evolved in the decades since the agreements were reached, including through the growing number of countries and commercial operators active in space, the development of new space technologies and the rapid increase in the amount of space activity. New Zealand supports ongoing efforts to advance international agreement on norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviour in space.
Promoting sustainable space and Earth environments
Space debris threatens the long-term usability of Earth orbit, posing risks to the delivery of satellite services that we rely upon in our daily lives. New Zealand aims to lead sustainable space access through our best-practice regulatory regime and through creating innovative and flexible policies to enable space activity that will improve the safety and sustainability of Earth orbit, such as our active debris removal policy. Enabling this innovative activity from New Zealand also presents an economic opportunity. We also support international efforts to reduce space debris generation, protect the long-term sustainability of space and preserve cultural and scientific uses of the night sky.
Space technologies can also be used to support sustainability on Earth. Building on our partnership with the Environmental Defence Fund on MethaneSAT, a satellite mission to monitor and study global methane emissions, the government will continue to explore ways in which we can use space-enabled services and data to understand and mitigate environmental challenges New Zealand is facing.