MSI Seminar

The Emerging 5.0 Era: Law, Governance and Ethics at the Frontier

Timiebi Aganaba-Jeanty

School for the Future of Innovation in Society
Arizona State University

The future I was referring to in my 2019 TEDx talk “The Future of the Space 4.0 era”, has already arrived in the form of Space 5.0.

Being a space advocate in the space 4.0 era has engendered mixed feelings of excitement and worry. Is our space future going to be one marked by promise and progress or more of the same injustices we have seen in the past, as scientists and innovators pay little attention to social concerns? A new breed of advocates are calling for change which marks the Space 5.0 era.

Space 5.0 is characterized by 4 trends which have law, governance and ethics at the center:

1, Resisting the structures of coloniality: This is not just about inclusion and opening the door a little, but shattering the narratives and foundations of space exploration, its why and the place of different stakeholders. Concurrently, as the future is for all, the approach needs to be centered on a thought out cosmopolitanism that recognizes common and differentiated obligations, and benefits for humanity.

2. A move towards Operationalizing Equity: But, how do we think about this practically? We must look at the concept of fairness in international law and bring sociology into law. This calls for a focus on justice in interpretation, which is beyond law.

3. Application of principles of general areas of terrestrial law to the space domain: For example what is the place of Individuals and human rights as we start thinking seriously about space settlement and how do we think of space as an environment that requires sustainable development, requiring the application of environmental law standards?

4. If coalitions will be leading exploration, then what are the applicable principles of polycentric governance that apply? As the US led Artemis Accords may need to be applied alongside a Chinese-Russian led governance system? How do we interact between legal orders? Could there even be a non-aligned movement too made up of non-state actors, focused on organizing and governing themselves through transactions, contract and private law principles?

As we move towards mainstreaming these concerns and sensibilities, it is the time for us all to be inward focused and reflective as Judith Butlers “Taking Account of Oneself” calls for. As we are more aware of ourselves and what drives us, we will be able to open up ourselves to hear the other. This talk will provide food for thought to help us do just that.