Secure World Foundation at GEOINT Symposium 2026

Secure World Foundation (SWF) will participate in the GEOINT Symposium 2026, where global leaders from government, industry, and academia convene to explore critical issues at the intersection of geospatial intelligence and the evolving space domain.

As part of the symposium, SWF will contribute to discussions on a core question: How can the space community ensure space sustainability without disadvantaging new actors such as small satellite operators and other associated stakeholders?

SWF Program Analyst, Space Security and Stability Kathleen Brett will present “The Handbook for New Actors in Space: Building Sustainable & Responsible Space Activities” on May 6, 2026, at 7:30 AM MST.

In 2017, Secure World Foundation released the first edition of the Handbook for New Actors in Space. This guidebook was intended to provide nations, established satellite operators, start-up companies, universities, and other space actors with a broad overview of the fundamental principles, laws, norms, and best practices for peaceful, safe, and responsible activities in space. In light of new developments, SWF has researched and published the 2nd edition of the Handbook for New Actors in Space, which is available as a free resource for the space community.

With the rapid expansion of commercial space activities and increasing access to space technologies, the global space environment is becoming more complex. These developments enable innovation, lowering of costs, and greater access to capabilities and services available from satellites for all. However, the growth in space activities and the influx of new actors also have the potential to exacerbate threats to the long-term sustainable use of space, including on-orbit crowding, radio-frequency interference, the proliferation of space debris, and the chances of an incident in space sparking or escalating geopolitical tensions on Earth.

This training draws on the updated Handbook to present relevant research into developments in space sustainability. It will explore key developments shaping the future of the space environment, including the effects of anti-satellite testing on low Earth orbit and global governance attempts to address this threat, expansion of commercial cislunar and lunar activities, and the advancement of non-traditional technologies such as active debris removal and on-orbit servicing.

Participants will engage with practical approaches to implementing best practice behaviors for space sustainability, as well as other developments in the environment, technology, and policy that can affect governance and development decisions. This session seeks to raise awareness of this resource and to provide an opportunity for engagement on these topics.

For more information, please visit the event website: https://usgif.org/geoint-symposium-2026/