United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)

05/09/2025

🚀 Hot off the (digital) press: the updated UN Space Law Treaty Booklet is now available in all six official UN languages! 🌍

🛰️ Why it matters: With over 60 countries requesting assistance from UNOOSA to implement international space law, COPUOS commitments aren’t just words on paper. They’re the fundamental building blocks for space activities, national space laws and policies, and they're critical to ensure the safe and sustainable use of space for decades to come.

⚖️ This is an essential reference for policymakers, lawyers, researchers, and anyone shaping the future of space governance.

What's new in this edition?
* A fresh foreword by UNOOSA Director Aarti Holla-Maini
* Inclusion of the landmark Guidelines for the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities (LTS Guidelines)
* All key UN space law instruments now in one comprehensive document

📥 Download the Treaty Booklet now in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish: https://bit.ly/UNSpaceLawTreaties

04/09/2025

🎥 New resource alert: full video series now live on UNOOSA’s YouTube channel! 👉 https://shorturl.at/JtzAB

⚖️ Whether you're a diplomat, space policy expert, or student, this series breaks down key principles of international space law in a way that's easy to understand, from the Outer Space Treaty to emerging legal challenges in orbit. Each episode brings international law to life with expertise and clarity.

We’ve featured distinguished speakers in the field from all over the world:
🇹🇭 Phee Choosri of Thai space agency GISTDA สำนักงานพัฒนาเทคโนโลยีอวกาศและภูมิสารสนเทศ (องค์การมหาชน) on registration
🇦🇺 Steven Freeland of Western Sydney University on insurance and liability
🇧🇷 Ian Grosner of Agência Espacial Brasileira - AEB on authorisation
🇫🇷 Clemence Lambrecht of CNES on supervision
🇱🇮 Bianca Lins of the Liechtenstein Office for Communications on transfer of ownership
🇮🇹 Sergio Marchisio of Sapienza Università di Roma on scope of application
🇰🇪 Rachel Olore of Kenya Space Agency on safety

These principles are the building blocks of every national space law. When enshrined in robust regulations, they promote safe and sustainable space activities, support national space actors and attract foreign direct investment.

Want to go deeper?
Join us at 🇺🇳UNOOSA’s Space Law Conference on operationalising space sustainability, taking place 19–20 November in Vienna. Learn more and register at unoosa.org.

🙏 A huge thank you to the speakers who helped make this happen.

03/09/2025

🌍🚀The winners of the 2025 Essay Competition have just completed an extraordinary journey!

Yann Van Royen, Billy Bryan, Tomás Elia, Karen Nicole Pirazan Villanueva and Imogen Garlick traveled to USA🇺🇸 to Huntsville, Alabama, to explore the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, where they met astronaut Mike Foreman.

🧑‍🚀 At Adult Space Camp, they trained like astronauts through hands-on engineering challenges, team-building exercises, and two simulated space missions.

🪐 In Washington, D.C., they visited the U.S. Department of State for discussions on space policy, and NASA headquarters, where they toured the Space Operations Center and listened live to astronauts aboard the ISS.

🛰️ They didn’t just explore rockets: they explored how space connects to climate action, innovation, and international cooperation. Participants came back having experienced first-hand the past, present, and future of space exploration.

This is what is all about: creating access, building capacity, and ensuring youth voices shape the future of space. As the UN’s lead space entity, UNOOSA is proud to connect young people with real opportunities to drive global impact through space.

🔗 Learn more about Space4Youth and other initiatives we're currently fundraising for: https://lnkd.in/e3J4p6WV

👀 Stay tuned for more news on Space4Youth this September!

🙏 A big thank you to the U.S. Mission Vienna, The University of Alabama in Huntsville and the Space Generation Advisory Council for making this possible!

28/08/2025

🌊 🚀 Oceans are rising, and so is the need for unity, innovation, and access.

This , we spotlight the Alliance, launched by UNOOSA and partners at the UN Ocean Conference ( ) to ensure all countries, especially those most vulnerable, can use space data to protect their ocean resources.

Why did we create the Alliance?
Because sea-level rise, marine pollution, and ecosystem loss affect us all, but the capacity to act remains unequal. Many countries on the front lines (small island developing states, least developed countries, coastal nations) still face barriers to accessing and using space-based tools.

🌐 The Space4Ocean Alliance brings together the space and marine communities to:
✅ Identify pressing ocean data gaps
✅ Deliver tailored satellite data and services
✅ Build capacity where it’s needed most

So far, 27 organizations have signed the Declaration of Intent. And we’re just getting started!

📍Next stop: Oslo in November, where UNOOSA will join the Steering Committee meeting to co-develop solutions that empower all countries to act.

Learn how UNOOSA and the Alliance support ocean action: https://lnkd.in/gc5Dh-sW

See how satellites and AI help monitor sea-level rise in island states like 🇹🇴 Tonga: https://lnkd.in/gEQ9inqr


📸 Photo Credit: Bianca O.

27/08/2025

🚀🌊 This , we’re sharing real-world examples from our initiative of how space can help solve water challenges on Earth.

🛰️ WATERSHED PROTECTION IN VENEZUELA
Venezuela faces a severe water crisis driven by drought, erosion and deforestation. Verónica de Souza of Venezuelan Space Agency ABAE (Agencia Bolivariana para Actividades Espaciales) and experts from the community are using remote sensing data to monitor land degradation across 16 water basins to support environmental management.

💧 MANGROVE CONSERVATION IN TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
Mangroves are vital to coastal resilience, but face growing threats from climate change and human activity. Deanesh Ramsewak of the University of Trinidad & Tobago is leveraging high-resolution Earth observation data provided by UNOOSA to map mangrove species, helping target conservation and restoration efforts.

💧 REVIVING A RIVER IN NEW ZEALAND
For Cadence Kaumoana and her Māori community, reconnecting with a local river meant first understanding its history. With insights gained at a Space4Water stakeholder meeting, they are mapping historic land use and vegetation cover using satellite imagery. This will help them restore and steward the river through an indigenous lens, empowered by space technology.

💡Want to get involved in ?

🌍 Join our global community of practice
Connect with 180+ members working at the intersection of space and water.
📩 Email us at oosa@un.org to join.

🛠️ Get hands-on in our working groups
Collaborate monthly to co-design space-based water solutions.
🔗 https://www.space4water.org/thematic-working-groups

📅 Save the date: 23–24 October
Join us for the Sixth Space4Water Stakeholder Meeting! Two days of live collaboration and innovation
🌐 https://shorturl.at/xNXcX

📸: NASA

24/08/2025

🌊 It’s World Water Week!

Every year, scientists, governments and innovators from around the world gather in Stockholm 🇸🇪 to develop solutions to the world’s greatest water-related challenges, from food security to climate resilience. 2025’s theme: Water for Climate Action. 🌱💧

At UNOOSA, we bring space solutions into this global conversation through our project. Why? Because space technologies—like satellite data and remote sensing—can help monitor droughts, manage floods, and improve access to clean water, especially in areas most at risk. 🛰️

Space4Water has three pillars:
👥 At its heart: a global community of practice co-designing space-based solutions for water challenges worldwide.
🌐 The Space4Water Portal, to share data, tools, case studies, and best practices.
🤝 Conferences that bring together stakeholders to foster connections, knowledge sharing and innovative solutions.

We’re proud to welcome the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), the organizer of World Water Week, as a new stakeholder in the Space4Water initiative. Together, we’ll turn space-based technology into actionable solutions for these water challenges and the people and ecosystems they most affect.

🌐 Explore the portal: https://www.space4water.org


📸: ESA

20/08/2025

🎓🚀 Are you ready to launch your career in space?

Applications are now OPEN for the 2026 cycle of the UN/Japan Long-Term Fellowship Programme: Post-graduate Study on Nano-Satellite Technologies (PNST)!

This opportunity is open to nationals of developing countries or non-space-faring nations, with the goal of building local expertise to advance national space ecosystems and economies. 🌍

Through this prestigious opportunity, selected candidates will:
🔹 Earn a fully funded Master's (2 years) or PhD (3 years) in nano-satellite technologies at 九州工業大学 Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech), Japan
🔹 Gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge satellite systems
🔹 Receive full support: tuition, travel, and monthly stipend covered by the Government of Japan

Don't miss this unique opportunity to join the next generation of space pioneers!
📅 Deadline to apply: 30 November 2025
🔗 Learn more: https://shorturl.at/NZkSZ


Photo credit: Kyutech

18/08/2025

🤔 “What’s an UNOOSA?” 🤭

In this episode of “This Week in Space,” Dr. Rick Jenet of the National Space Society joins co-hosts Rod Pyle and Isaac Arthur to break down the role of UNOOSA, its connection to the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), and the important part it plays in space governance.

🎧 Tune in to learn:
🔹 What emerging issues COPUOS is discussing, including lunar activities and commercial space operations
🔹 Why the Outer Space Treaty remains a cornerstone of international space cooperation
🔹 What observer status is and how organisations like the NSS use their platform to help inform delegates
🔹 Why space governance isn’t just for diplomats: it affects everyone.

This episode offers a fresh look at the international cooperation behind peaceful and sustainable space exploration.

🎥 Watch now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16CDF4-FcOs&ab_channel=ThisWeekinSpace

The United Nations has mediated conflicts since its founding in 1945. That domain of involvement extended into space in 1967 with the Outer Space Treaty. Tod...

14/08/2025

🌏 Harness the Power of Satellite Navigation for Sustainable Development
📍 17–21 November 2025 | Jakarta, Indonesia

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), in cooperation with Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (BRIN), Universitas Indonesia, and the International Committee on GNSS (ICG), invites you to join the United Nations/Indonesia Workshop on the Applications of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS).

GNSS offer cost-effective solutions that support the Sustainable Development Goals. They can enhance disaster response, improve urban planning, support precision farming, enable smarter transport systems, and strengthen environmental monitoring.

This workshop will:
✅ Explore the latest advances in GNSS technology and applications
✅ Share best practices from national, regional, and global initiatives
✅ Build partnerships and pilot projects to strengthen capacity in the region

💡 Whether you work in science, policy, engineering, or education, this is your chance to learn from experts, exchange ideas, and help shape GNSS solutions for a better future.

📅 Apply by Sunday, 24 August 2025
🔗 Learn more: https://shorturl.at/CmgP6

12/08/2025

🌍🚀 This International Youth Day, help us launch the next generation of space leaders.

UNOOSA’s initiative empowers young people to shape the future of space. Now, we’re calling on partners to help us take it further.

Through this initiative, we can:

📢 Amplify Youth Voices: partner with the likes of Space Generation Advisory Council and World Space Week to give young people a voice in the future of space governance and exploration.

📚 Advance STEM & Education Access: Support countries with tele-education toolkits and promote effective space and STEM curricula, so every child can dream big, no matter where they are.

🌐 Expand Opportunities: Open doors for young professionals through our six Regional Centres for Space Science and Technology Education, fellowships, and satellite development programmes.

💫 Want to invest in impact? View our concept note here and get in touch: https://shorturl.at/MJsC8

Image courtesy of the international art exhibition "Celebrating Space Inclusion," supported by the China Society of Astronautics and the Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific (RCSSTEAP). Featured artworks were created by finalists of the 13th "My Space Dream" national space painting student competitions in China.

11/08/2025

✨ The night sky is our shared heritage — let’s work together to keep it accessible for all.

🪐 Registration is now open for the UN/SKAO Dark & Quiet Skies Workshop, taking place 9–11 December 2025 at the Vienna International Centre!

Hosted by UNOOSA, in partnership with the , this workshop will address the evolving challenges posed by the increasing use of satellite constellations. These developments bring great benefits, but also require thoughtful, collaborative approaches to protect astronomy, the environment, and cultural heritage.

🌌 Why it matters
This global forum will bring together scientists, industry, policymakers, and regulators to explore practical, balanced measures — from technical mitigation to regulatory approaches — ensuring our skies remain dark, quiet, and accessible for future generations.

🎯 What to expect
💡 Expert presentations
📜 Policy panels
🤝 Collaborative recommendations for global action

📢 Register now and be part of the conversation shaping the future of and global space governance.

🔗https://shorturl.at/2UWnW

08/08/2025

Two countries. One rocket. Whose laws apply? 🚀⚖️

In our latest video, Professor Sergio Marchisio of Sapienza Università di Roma 🇮🇹 unpacks the scope of application — the vital part of space law that decides who and what falls under a country’s space regulations.

From avoiding double authorizations to helping new space startups take off, these rules shape how we explore and use outer space.

🎥 Watch to find out how states set these rules and how it affects the space economy.

🔗 Learn more about our Global Space Law project: https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/sk/ourwork/spacelaw/capacitybuilding/advisory-services/index.html