Dark and Quiet Skies: Bridging the Gap Between Ground-Based Astronomy and Outer Space at the United Nations

During its 61st session in 2024, the Scientific-Technical Subcommittee (STSC) of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), the United Nations body on the development of space law and policy, decided to include the issue of Dark and Quiet Skies (DQS) on its agenda after the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) lobbying on the issue. The DQS movement aims to address the interference of satellite activities with ground-based astronomy, both with visual and radio frequencies. This landmark decision exemplifies two facts: On the one hand, the growing recognition of ground-based astronomy as a space activity in the context of space law, policy and diplomacy, and the urgency to cohesively address different uses of outer space under a harmonized regulation regime. On the other hand, it represents both an arduous and successful attempt to influence the United Nations mechanisms into addressing these concerns, despite the siloing often present between regulators and researchers in outer space. In my presentation, I aim to share an introduction of the law and policy mechanisms with a relevance for SETI research at the United Nations, as well as ways to engage with it as practitioners and researchers, using the developments regarding the DQS movement as a basis. Having worked as a delegate to both COPUOS and the UN General Assembly, I hope to combine the practical and the academical perspective, and to share best practices and methods of engagement, especially for young researchers.