Episode 61: Elon Musk Does Not Own Outer Space

The establishment of the U.S. Space Force, NATO’s designation of space as an operational warfighting domain, and rising private sector participation signal a critical juncture. As more nations acquire space capabilities, the outer space domain appears poised to become the next frontier of international insecurity. Nicole Butler (SSP’25) hosts Jessica West, Senior Researcher at Project Ploughshares, to discuss space regulations, global governance and non-weaponization, the pros and cons of increasing private sector involvement, and the biggest threats to space security.

About the Guest

Jessica West is a Senior Researcher at Project Ploughshares specializing in advancing peace and security in outer space. She tackles topics including approaches to peace and disarmament based on humanitarian protection and gender perspectives, non-weaponization of outer space, and the impact of new technologies on space security. She regularly works closely with the United Nations to advance these topics and also holds roles as a Research Fellow at the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement and Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI).

Views expressed are personal and do not represent the views of GSSR or any other entity.