Topic: Private Sector Access to Outer Space
Country: Greece
Delegate Name: Catherine Huang
School: Grand Blanc High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Greece position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
The debates over private sector access to outer space are regarding whether private companies should be allowed to initiate their own space missions. Previously, only huge space corporations (such as NASA from the United States) were allowed to attempt space travel. They succeeded when mankind reached the moon in 1969. Technology has evolved since then, however, so some of the general population believes they deserve the right to travel in outer space, too. If space travel were incorporated into everyday life, future generations could utilize resources from other planets. The opposite side of the argument is that too much freedom to go to space could result in dangerous expeditions. Those in favor of private sector access respond that this could be prevented by strict safety requirements.
Greece does not currently hold enough money to start our own national space program, let alone allow our citizens to do so. However, we are still strong advocates for the cause of letting the average person start their own space company in the future. Our country has been a compliant member of the European Space Agency (ESA) since 2005. We do much to raise awareness and interest in the possibility of space travel becoming more common. Greece believes that making transportation to space and other planets more affordable would greatly help the economy. Firstly, the process of developing space equipment would create jobs for workers, scientists, mathematicians, designers, and more. Then, when everyday travel to space is feasible, people could visit other planets for pleasure or to use available resources. This is why Greece supports letting general people access outer space.
We propose that the ESA allow non-federal corporations to develop space travel equipment as long as they are financially stable. Allowing private companies to do so would be beneficial to humans and the United Nations because it will make scientific progress much, much faster. More groups for a cause means more brainpower. To prevent anything dangerous from happening, there will be very strict regulations on safety. For example, all parts of all equipment will be thoroughly tested and inspected by the ESA and UN. This is to ensure that no defective machines enter space and injure people. The United Nations will form a committee with representatives from each country to write these regulations. They will check each other and keep each other in balance. Then, humanity will gain the freedom to travel into space more often for commercial and scientific purposes.
