TWiS 194: COPs in Space! - Is the Outer Space Treaty Ready for the New Space Race?

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Jan 23, 2026

Ely Sandler, a Harvard Kennedy School fellow working on energy policy, climate finance, and space governance, proposes updating 1967 space rules. He discusses using a Conference of Parties model to iteratively tighten treaty terms. Conversations cover orbital debris and collision risk, property and resource use on the Moon, militarization and transparency, and regulatory hurdles for space solar power.

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ANECDOTE

From Astronaut Dream To Space Policy

Ely Sandler wanted to be an astronaut but learned economics didn't qualify for NASA's astronaut STEM requirement.
He pivoted his career to energy finance and space policy, applying infrastructure and finance lessons to space governance.

ADVICE

Win Business By Targeting Fixed-Price Contracts

Entrepreneurs should target fixed-price government procurement opportunities to secure de-risked customers.
Leverage new NASA and Space Force programs that prefer fixed-price delivery over traditional cost-plus contracts.

INSIGHT

Outer Space Treaty Is Outdated And Vague

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty is legally vague and wasn't written for today's private-led space economy.
That vagueness prevents clear obligations for modern problems like debris, liability, and satellite interactions.

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The Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which was intended to regulate activities in space, is hard to enforce and woefully out of date. New nations and private actors are entering the spaceflight arena, and an updated mechanism with a bit more teeth is needed. Our guest, Ely Sandler, a Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, has put forward the idea of using COPs—not the kind in uniform, but a Conference of Parties—as a less-formal gathering of spacefaring (and space-ambitious) entities, to discuss future treaties, agreements, and enforcement mechanisms, eventually leading to new treaties. These would be similar to the annual climate COP that has provided useful discourse on climate change. A space COP would address responsibility for and control of orbital assets, land and resource use on the Moon, Mars, and asteroids; and possibly limits to the militarization of space. Join us for a fascinating discussion!

Headlines:

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Main Topic: Is the Outer Space Treaty Obsolete? Examining the Future of Space Governance with Ely Sandler

Outer Space Treaty's Vagueness and Limits for Modern Space Activity
Why New Space Policy Models Are Needed for Orbital Debris, Spacecraft Ownership, and Liability
"Conference of the Parties" (COP) Model Proposed for Space Law Updates
Challenges of Property Rights, Exclusion Zones, and International Consensus on the Moon
How Commercial Space and Military Concerns Intersect Under Outdated Treaties
Space Solar Power's Potential and Regulatory Hurdles for Energy Beaming

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Ely Sandler

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