The Space Security, Safety, and Sustainability (SSSS) Program at The University of Texas at Austin’s (UT) Strauss Center for International Security and Law and the Cockrell School of Engineering, in partnership with the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and MITRE, held the 10^th annual Space Traffic Management Conference, “Inflection Points of Change: Civil, Commercial & Security” for space operations. Additional support was provided by NorthStar Earth and Space, Aerospace Policy Solutions, LLC, Kayhan Space, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University O’Maley College of Business, and Runways to Space LLC.

Pictures from the event are available here.

Updated February 16. Full program with panelists available here (updated February 27).

Experts from all over the world gathered to discuss and exchange knowledge on Space Traffic Management. Technical sessions were devoted to several topics like Changing Legal and Regulatory Frameworks, Airspace/Orbital Space Integration, Space Safety and Sustainability, Security, and Related Issues.

Venue

This year’s conference was held in Bass Lecture Hall (basement level), LBJ School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas USA.

More Information

For more detailed information, please visit the IAA website at: https://iaaspace.org/stm.

Visit past year’s conferences and materials at: https://www.strausscenter.org/space-security-stm/.

Author Requirements

For those whose abstracts are selected: 

Session presenters should be available to do the following:  

1. Submit a final academic quality paper by 28 January 2024.   
2. Be available for a live Q&A panel one of the days of the conference
3. Finalize papers as applicable for publication.  

Selected papers will be submitted for a special STM edition of Acta Astronautica.

Abstract Submittal

Abstracts of up to 500 words are invited and must include the precise title of the paper, the topic area of interest, the author’s full name and affiliation, and complete contact information including an email address. The language of the conference is English. All abstracts must follow the STM Conference paper guidelines and the abstract template is available here. Papers must be submitted online through the conference website upload link beginning 30 June 2023. Please be sure to designate the topic area your paper addresses (see topics listed above). In person attendance is required to present a paper. The deadline for receipt of abstracts is 30 September 2023.

Call for Papers

Papers are solicited, aligned with this year’s theme, in the areas listed below: 

• Civil: The growing number of civil spaceports, the increasing number of countries pursuing participation in space situational awareness or sustainability efforts and the U.S. transition of space traffic management to the Department of Commerce and its implications for space operators worldwide.
• Commercial: The effects of high-profile events on the commercial space market and the emergence of novel space activities including efforts for satellite servicing and deorbiting, along with policies and regulations governing their operations.
• Security: The issues and role of commercial space assets and the intersection of space diplomacy with the security landscape.

Furthermore, we encourage authors to explore the interplay between these inflection points and other relevant topics, such as space environmentalism, sustainability, economics, and the integration of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) into effective space traffic management.

Authors are invited to submit papers that contribute to the advancement of the field by offering new insights, research findings, and innovative ideas. Selected papers will have the opportunity to be featured in a special edition of Acta Astronautica, a prestigious journal in the aerospace domain.

Key Dates

• 30 June 2023 Call for papers 

• 30 September 2023 Abstracts due (student papers with faculty recommendations accepted until 1 November/student authors notified Nov 15) 

• 15 October 2023 Authors notified

• 15 October 2023 Registration opens (registration fee €100 /members, €110 non-members, student discount will be available)

• 30 October 2023 Preliminary Program Published

• 28 January 2024 Final Papers Due 

• 27-28 February 2024 10^th STM Conference 

We look forward to receiving your submissions and welcoming you to the 10th annual STM Conference in Austin, Texas. Together, we will explore the inflection points of change and shape the future of space traffic management in the civil, commercial, and security domains.

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