The Office of Space Affairs (OSA) is a division within the U.S. Department of State that leads diplomatic efforts to advance American leadership in space exploration and use. Its mission is to strengthen international partnerships that support the responsible commercialization and utilization of space.
OSA pursues this mission by consulting with other nations to develop agreements on space activities, overseeing implementation of existing accords like the 1998 ISS Intergovernmental Agreement, and leading U.S. participation in the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). Formed in 1958, COPUOS now includes 92 member states that work to govern conduct in space and promote international cooperation.
OSA spearheads collaboration between over 20 U.S. government agencies and international partners on civil space projects. It facilitates data-sharing and provides policy guidance to maximize societal benefits from missions focused on Earth observation, weather monitoring, satellite navigation, and space science.
A major OSA priority is growing the global space economy and associated high-tech jobs by increasing commercial opportunities in space. The office leads negotiations to put in place the regulatory frameworks and incentives needed for private industry to thrive. It also heads commercial space diplomacy efforts to remove trade barriers and jointly address issues like space traffic management.
OSA is currently working to expand international participation in the Artemis Accords, NASA’s attempt to define norms and best practices for sustainable lunar exploration. The accords have over 20 signatories spanning traditional U.S. allies, emerging space powers like Brazil, and developing nations new to space like Uganda. OSA also manages NASA’s cooperative agreements with the European and Japanese space agencies on the Lunar Gateway outpost.
The office collaborates closely with the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation, which licenses private launch providers, as well as the Commerce Department’s Office of Space Commerce, which promotes growth of the commercial space industry.
On the State Department side, OSA coordinates with the Bureaus of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) as well as Economic and Business Affairs. OES helps craft agreements on Earth observation and environmental monitoring while EB formulates international trade policy and export control regulations relevant to commercial space activity.
OSA is part of the Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment (EGI) team within State, led by Under Secretary Jose Fernandez. Fernandez has made space a priority, raising it to high-level bilateral meetings with both traditional and emerging space powers. This has led to a significant increase in global interest and new partnerships.
The U.S. was a space leader from the start, passing the 1958 National Aeronautics and Space Act that created NASA just months after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. As space becomes ever more congested and contested, OSA works to maintain American leadership in forging international consensus on responsible behavior that allows commercial and civil space endeavors by all nations to continue advancing science and bettering life on Earth.
Citations:
[1] https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-space-affairs/
[2] https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/aboutus/history/index.html
[3] https://www.space.commerce.gov/about/mission/
[4] https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/12/20/fact-sheet-strengthening-u-s-international-space-partnerships/
[5] https://unis.unvienna.org/unis/pressrels/2023/unisos591.html
[6] https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-economic-growth-energy-and-the-environment/bureau-of-oceans-and-international-environmental-and-scientific-affairs/office-of-space-affairs/
[7] https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/copuos/history.html
[8] https://www.nasa.gov/oiir/
[9] https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/aboutus/partnerships.html
[10] https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/05/30/space-diplomacy-state-department/
[11] https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/aboutus/index.html
[12] https://www.unov.org/unov/en/unoosa.html
[13] https://sma.nasa.gov/sma-disciplines/planetary-protection
[14] https://payloadspace.com/state-sees-a-significant-uptick-in-global-space-collaboration/
[15] https://www.defense.gov/Spotlights/DOD-Space-Strategy/
[16] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Office_for_Outer_Space_Affairs
[17] https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/global-legal-landscape-space-who-writes-rules-final-frontier
[18] https://spaceref.com/science-and-exploration/new-partnership-between-un-office-for-outer-space-affairs-un-development-programme-and-brazilian-space-agency/
[19] https://www.unoosa.org
[20] https://sdgs.un.org/un-system-sdg-implementation/united-nations-office-outer-space-affairs-unoosa-49126
[21] https://sdgs.un.org/un-system-sdg-implementation/united-nations-office-outer-space-affairs-unoosa-24523
[22] https://reliefweb.int/organization/oosa