The Washington Compact

On 4 July 2022, the Institute introduced The Washington Compact, an international instrument that provides a framework for cooperation and responsible behavior among nations, commercial space actors, and other stakeholders, ensuring that the benefits of commercial space activities are realized while minimizing the potential for harmful interference.

As a Permanent Observer, the Institute submitted The Washington Compact to the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs on 8 February 2023.

To read the full version of The Washington Compact on the website of the United Nations Office of Outer Space, please click here.

It is a privilege to stand here today, surrounded by some of the brightest minds in the space industry, to celebrate a momentous occasion in the history of space exploration. Today, we gather to mark the signing of The Washington Compact for Norms of Behavior for Commercial Space Operations, a treaty that will shape the future of space commerce and set the standards for responsible and sustainable space activities.

For centuries, humanity has looked to the stars with wonder and aspiration, and today, we stand at the forefront of a new age of space discovery. A time where nations come together, not as competitors, but as partners, in a shared mission to advance our knowledge and understanding of the universe.

The signing of this compact is a testament to the progress we have made in space exploration and the increasing role of commercial entities in this field. The rapid growth of the space industry has created new opportunities for commerce and research, but it has also brought new challenges, as nations and companies strive to establish their presence in the final frontier.

As we embrace this new era of space commerce, it is imperative that we have a clear and universal set of norms and principles to guide our actions and ensure the responsible use of outer space. The compact that we are celebrating today is the result of years of collaborative effort, involving a wide range of stakeholders from the private sector, academia, and government.

The compact lays out a set of norms and principles that will guide the activities of commercial space operators and ensure that their operations are consistent with the principles of peaceful use, transparency, and responsible behavior in outer space.

The compact is not only a symbol of our commitment to responsible space behavior, but it is also a practical guide for companies and organizations as they navigate the complexities of space commerce. By adhering to these norms, we can ensure that the growth of the space industry is sustainable, and that future generations will have the opportunity to continue exploring the final frontier.

As the president of the Institute responsible for this compact, I am proud to say that we have taken a significant step forward in our collective efforts to ensure the responsible use of outer space. However, this is just the beginning, and we must continue to work together to promote the peaceful and sustainable use of outer space for the benefit of all mankind.

Let us celebrate this historic occasion and rededicate ourselves to the principles of responsible space behavior. Let us work together to create a future where the skies are open to all, and the heavens are a source of inspiration and cooperation for all people.

Opening speech of President Sohair Salam, delivered at the Inaugural Ceremony of The Washington Compact

As of August 2023, the Signatories of The Washington Compact are as follows:

Space Foundation, signed by Thomas E. Zelibor, Rear Admiral, USN (Ret.) – Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc., signed by Kenji Yabuta – American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), signed by Daniel Dumbacher – Global Spaceport Alliance, signed by Dr. George C. Nield – The Charles Bolden Group, signed by Colonel Ché Bolden – Simera Group, signed by Johann du Toit – Atomos Space, signed by William Kowalski – Spaceflight Launch Services, signed by Curt Blake – Privateer Space, signed by Alex Fielding – Ad Astra Rocket Company, signed by Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz – SCOUT Space Inc., signed by Eric Ingram – Protean Industries, signed by Stephen Daire – Kall Morris Inc., signed by Troy Morris – Maritime Launch USA, signed by Robert Feierbach – Digantara, signed by Anirudh Sharma – Dhruva Space Limited, signed by Chaitnaya Dora Surapureddy – Maine Space Corporation, signed by Dawn DiBlasi, Esq. – Space Perspective, signed by Taber MacCallum – Marble Arch Partners, signed by The Honorable Robert Brumley III – OneSpace Technologies, signed by Dr. Anis Karim – OrbitsEdge Inc., signed by Richard Ward – Space Economy Rising, signed by Kevin O’Connell – Beyond Earth Institute, signed by Steven Wolfe – Near Earth LLC, signed by Hoyt Davidson – International Moonbase Alliance, signed by Henk Rogers – Stellar Amenities, signed by Anastasia Prosina – Future of Space, signed by Daniel Fox – Capitol Alliance Solutions, signed by Courtney Stadd – Hovmork Space Consulting, signed by Geir Hovmork – Hayes Group International, signed by Selina Hayes – Dream Space Industries Ltd, signed by Joon Yat Tsang – Leviathan Space Industries, signed by Robert Aillon – Origin Space, signed by Dr. Guoyu Wang – Xplore Inc., signed by Lisa Rich – ISM.Earth, signed by Marques D. Anderson – SatSearch, signed by Narayan Prasad – Joerg Kreisel International Consultants, signed by Joerg Kreisel – Rogue Space Systems Corporation, signed by Jeromy Grimmett – E2MC Ventures, signed by Raphael Roettgen – Aphelion Aerospace, signed by Miguel Ayala – CS Consulting LLC, signed by Caryn Schenewerk – TrustPoint, Inc., signed by Patrick Shannon – Nonfiction Design, signed by Phnam Bagley – NearSpace Launch, Inc., signed by Matthew Voss – Virtu Solis Technologies, signed by John Bucknell – Deep Space Initiatives, signed by Sara Sabry – Vyoma, signed by Dr. Stefan Frey –  Constellation Advisory LLC, signed by Patricia Cooper – OKAPI:Orbits GmbH, signed by Kristina Nikolaus – For All Moonkind, signed by Michelle Hanlon, Esq. – Maine Space Grant Consortium, signed by Dr. Terry Shehata – RP Consulting, signed by Renee Wynn – Space Hero, signed by Deborah Sass and Thomas Reemer – SC Solutions, Inc., signed by Greg Loy – Position Inc., signed by Zaheer Ali – OSA Consulting, LLC, signed by Christopher Hearsey – Moonscape, signed by Yoav Landsman – InterFlight Global Corporation, signed by Oscar Garcia – Artemis Innovation Management Solutions LLC, signed by John C. Mankins – iBOSS GmbH, signed by Thomas A. Schervan – Inner Space Training, signed by Dr. Mindy Howard – Fooditive Group, signed by Moayad Abushokhedim – HarmonizeSpace, signed by Dr. Guoyu Wang – James R Kass Space Consulting, signed by James Kass – The Armor Group, signed by Major General Jim Armor – Iceland Space Agency, signed by Daniel Leeb – SpaceWatch.Global, signed by Torsten Kriening – The TMRW Foundation, signed by Cevat Yerli – Association of Space Explorers, signed by Mark Brown – ZC Institute, Inc., signed by Greg Hodgin – EarthLight Foundation, signed by Rick Tumlinson – Geopolitical Futures, signed by George Friedman – Moon Village Association, signed by Giuseppe Reibaldi – The University of Mississippi Center for Air and Space Law, signed by Michelle Hanlon, Esq. – World Education Foundation, signed by Marques Anderson – The University of La Verne, signed by Dr. Devorah Lieberman – Keio University School of Law, signed by Dr. Setsuko Aoki – Saipienza University Roma, signed by Sergio Marchisio – Enpulsion GmbH, signed by Alexander Reissner – International Academy of Space Law, signed by Dr. Artem Bondarenko – Regional Center for Space Science and Technology Education for Latin America and the Caribbeans, signed by Dr. Sergio Camacho-Lara – European Space Policy Institute, signed by Jean-Jacques Tortora – Mukund Rao, Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Saptial Analytics and Advanced GIS – The Commercial Space Initiative, signed by Christian Zur – The Space Court Foundation, signed by Christopher Hearsey Urban Matrix One, signed by Marques Anderson – Sylvester Kaczmarek, signed by Sylvester Kaczmarek – Dr. Scott Pace, former Executive Secretary of the US National Space Council – Academician Emerita Professor Tan Sri Dr. Mazlan binti Othman, Senior Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and Emeritus Professor at National University of Malaysia – The Honorable General Charles F. Bolden Jr., former Administrator of NASA – The Honorable James F. Bridenstine, former Administrator of NASA, former US Representative for Oklahoma – Sir Martin Sweeting, Executive Chairman of Surrey Satellite Technology – Carlos Alvarado Quesada, former President of the Republic of Costa Rica – Madame Élisabeth Guigou, former French Minister for European Affairs, Minister of Justice, and Minister of Social Affairs – Gérard Brachet, former Chairman of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and former Director General of the French Space Agency – Rick Tumlinson, Co-Founder and Board Chairman of SpaceFund, Founder of EarthLight Foundation, and Founder of The Space Frontier Foundation – Dr. George Nield, President of Commercial Space Technologies, LLC – Dr. Michael Simpson, former Executive Director of the Secure World Foundation –  Kyle Acierno, Chief Executive Officer of iSpace – Dr. Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu, Romanian Cosmonaut –  Sagi Kfir, former Senior Legal Counsel for Blue Origin – Dr. Greg Autry, Clinical Professor and Director of the Thunderbird Initiative for Space Leadership, Policy, and Business in the Thunderbird School of Global Management – Gil Klinger, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space and Intelligence, U.S. Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics.