The Combined Space Operations (CSpO) initiative is a multinational partnership aimed at promoting responsible behaviors, enhancing cooperation and interoperability, optimizing resources, and preventing conflicts related to military space operations. Formed in 2014 with four nations, CSpO has grown to 10 members today and serves as an important forum for addressing the opportunities and challenges associated with an increasingly congested and contested space domain. As space becomes more integral to national security and economic prosperity, CSpO plays a vital role in shaping the future security environment of outer space.
The Origins and Evolution of CSpO
CSpO traces its origins to a 2014 Memorandum of Understanding signed by the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom to improve space domain awareness and data sharing between their militaries. This core group laid the foundation for a more ambitious partnership that could help address the lack of norms, behaviors and transparency surrounding military space operations. New Zealand joined in 2015, followed by Germany and France in 2019-2020.
In February 2022, the CSpO members jointly released their “Vision 2031” policy document, which formally outlined the initiative’s objectives, guiding principles and priority areas of cooperation over the next decade. Vision 2031 reaffirmed CSpO’s commitment to responsible behaviors in space, protecting partners’ interests in the domain, and upholding international law. It also welcomed the addition of Italy, Japan and Norway to the partnership in late 2022, bringing total membership to 10 nations.
Key Principles and Focus Areas
CSpO rests on four key principles to guide cooperation among partners:
- Freedom of Use of Space: Militaries play an important role in ensuring the freedom of access to and use of space.
- Responsible and Sustainable Use: Space activities have consequences across human endeavors, militaries must behave responsibly.
- Partnering While Recognizing Sovereignty: Partnerships are crucial but national interests still prevail.
- Upholding International Law: Activities must align with existing treaties and legal frameworks.
To put these principles into action, the CSpO Vision 2031 outlined four priority areas where militaries can take steps to encourage responsible behaviors and prevent conflicts in space:
Develop Resilient, Interoperable Architectures: Partners can share information to create compatible systems and redundant capabilities that strengthen resilience.
Normalize Responsible Military Behaviors: Transparency, communication and setting norms of behavior help avoid misperceptions/miscalculations.
Enhance Partnership: Broadening partnerships expands options for cooperation and decreases risks of escalation during crises.
Communicate Transparently: Clear signaling of intent and public messaging contribute to stability between space powers.
Relevance to the Emerging Space Economy
As national economies grow more reliant on space-based services, the emergence of new threats or irresponsible military behaviors that put those services at risk can have profound socioeconomic consequences. This is why frameworks like CSpO that promote transparency, communication, norms of behavior and conflict prevention are so valuable even beyond national security interests.
By avoiding arms races and reducing risks of escalation, CSpO helps create the stable environment needed for the commercial space economy to continue flourishing. The combined civil, commercial and military space sectors are projected to grow into a $1 trillion industry by 2040. CSpO allows militaries to address shared interests in areas like space traffic management, debris mitigation, and rescue/recovery operations that help sustain access and services.
As more nations develop indigenous space capabilities, there is also value in leveraging CSpO to create export control regimes, technology safeguards and capacity building programs that integrate rising space powers into a rules-based system. This encourages global responsibility and accountability.
Finally, CSpO offers a model for multilateral cooperation that could be replicated in other areas like cyber, AI, and advanced technologies where common interests exist between nations and militaries. Vision 2031 is the starting point, but there is room to expand the partnership or establish new ones using CSpO as a template.
Summary
The Combined Space Operations initiative signifies a growing acknowledgment among leading space powers that stability and security in outer space is a shared interest vital to national security and economic growth. By serving as a forum to develop norms of behavior, encourage transparency, build resilient capabilities and communicate intentions, CSpO aims to prevent conflicts in space and foster conditions that allow commercial activity to thrive.
As the space economy expands and more nations develop space programs, frameworks like CSpO can integrate rising actors into the rules-based system and promote accountable behaviors globally.