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Published daily by the Lowy Institute

  • 11 May 2026
    • Space exploration

    Data centres in space won’t escape conflict on Earth

    Nimra Javed
    The trickier issue is governance – how these assets will be treated once they become part of a contested space environment.
  • 20 Apr 2026
    • Space exploration

    In space, who owes you rights?

    Danielle Ireland-Piper
    Space belongs to everyone, but the question of who protects rights there remains unsettled.
  • 13 Apr 2026
    • Space exploration

    After Artemis II, the real lunar race is just getting started

    Cassandra Steer
    The geopolitics of who controls the Moon and controls the coming century.
  • 10 Apr 2026
    • Space exploration

    Moon governance in the spotlight after Artemis II

    Jing Ge
    The Artemis Accords represent an opportunity for middle powers, including Australia, to establish a role in lunar governance.
  • 2 Mar 2026
    • Space exploration

    The commercialisation of space surveillance

    Nimra Javed
    A US push to use commercial satellites for space surveillance raises hard questions about who controls strategic knowledge.
  • 13 Feb 2026
    • Asean
    • Singapore
    • Space exploration
    • Technology

    Can Southeast Asia extend its AI data centre advantage into Space?

    Karryl Kim Sagun Trajano , Iuna Tsyrulneva
    The race to build orbital computing initiatives now taking shape leaves the region facing a choice to catch up.
  • 26 Sep 2025
    • Global Economy
    • G20
    • Trade
    • WTO
    • Global Issues
    • Climate change
    • Multilateral Institutions
    • Space exploration
    • United Nations

    Why we need international institutions…

    Jenny Gordon
    …and how to rebuild them in an era of great power competition.
  • 24 Sep 2025
    • International law
    • Space exploration
    • Technology

    The real battle for the Moon’s resources is here on Earth

    Nimra Javed
    Pre-market contracts could decide lunar governance before mining starts and usher in a new age of “resource colonialism”.
  • 23 Sep 2025
    • Defence & Security
    • Space exploration

    Dogfighting between satellites? Recognising space as a domain of war

    Philip Citowicki
    Why Australia will likely follow Washington’s lead on military space doctrine.
  • 19 Aug 2025
    • China
    • International law
    • Space exploration
    • United States

    A nuclear reactor on the Moon will be a turning point

    Nimra Javed
    Competing visions for lunar governance are dividing Washington and Beijing as nuclear technology enables permanent space-based mining and manufacturing operations.
  • 1 Aug 2025
    • Space exploration
    • Technology

    How low-earth orbiting satellites can help innovation meet inclusion

    Hilman Palaon
    The infrastructure leap that is connecting the unconnected and making digital access affordable.
  • 30 May 2025
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • International law
    • Space exploration

    Nuclear threats in space demand new diplomacy

    Rebecca Connolly , Saadia M. Pekkanen
    Technical and communication measures are needed to prevent an arms race in Earth’s orbit.
  • 7 May 2025
    • Space exploration

    The Artemis generation: Space diplomacy’s next giant leap

    Philip Citowicki
    A lunar return will define our decade.
  • 21 Nov 2024
    • Japan
    • Australia
    • Space exploration

    Working together in space can enhance worldly ties between Australia and Japan

    Andre Kwok , Cassandra Steer
    And the region stands to benefit, too.
  • 13 Sep 2024
    • Antarctica
    • Space exploration

    As China’s space technology advances, Antarctica’s relevance may be frozen out

    Claire Young
    Re-evaluating concerns about the potential military uses of space technology on the white continent.
  • 13 Sep 2024
    • Sustainability
    • United Nations
    • Space exploration

    A Sustainable Development Goal for space

    Tom Cernev
    As human activity intensifies beyond Earth, there is a need to identify exactly what “space sustainability” means.
  • 19 Jul 2024
    • International law
    • United Nations
    • Space exploration

    Rising tensions over outer space – a new diplomatic hot zone

    Rebecca Connolly
    There is concern over the growing threat of space and counterspace weapon capabilities.
  • 28 Jun 2024
    • Space exploration

    China’s mission to Moon rocks geopolitics

    Cassandra Steer
    Shaping the rules of competition will ensure this space race is a peaceful one.
  • 16 Feb 2024
    • Defence & Security
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Russia
    • United States
    • Space exploration

    Is there really a nuclear weapon in space?

    Cassandra Steer
    Calm down, Congressman.
  • 19 Jan 2024
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Space exploration

    Space surveillance and AUKUS: The power of awareness

    Rebecca Connolly
    A robust system for the surveillance of outer space, including through the use of space-based radar, is vital to national security.
  • 21 Nov 2023
    • Australia
    • Space exploration

    Australia and space: A step together for the whole nation

    Catherine Wood
    A national space policy is needed to ensure Australia consistently engages across government, industry and global partners alike.
  • 17 Nov 2023
    • United Nations
    • Space exploration

    Making space arms control work

    Cassandra Steer
    After a decades-long deadlock, the past two years have seen a giant leap forward in international negotiations.
  • 23 Oct 2023
    • Space exploration

    Resources in the next frontier: Australia’s role in the race to space

    Tom Cernev
    The next boom might be found far, far away – and a chance not to repeat mistakes made before in a rush to mineral riches.
  • 14 Aug 2023
    • China
    • India
    • Russia
    • Space exploration
    • United States

    The Moon: The great game on new turf

    Ved Shinde
    India joins a powerplay with the United States, China and Russia in the hunt for lunar treasure and strategic superiority.
  • 23 Jun 2023
    • Space exploration
    • Review

    Low Earth orbit: The next frontier

    Luke Dawes
    A new book explores how power plays in space are destined to become an extension of cold geopolitical logic.
  • 14 Jun 2023
    • Space exploration
    • Sex and Gender

    Expanding the Women, Peace and Security agenda to the next frontier – space

    Kareena Dhillon , Elise Stephenson
    Australia could have an outsized impact promoting “responsible behaviours” in space through diplomacy and gender advocacy.
  • 23 Mar 2023
    • International law
    • Space exploration

    A new battlefield: the need for regulations to govern Near Space

    Rebecca Connolly
    International space agreements do not define “outer space” for the purpose of space activities – and that’s a problem.
  • 6 Mar 2023
    • Space exploration

    The sky is no longer the limit: Australia and East Asia in Space

    Jiye Kim , Arpit Raswant , Tim Mahlberg
    Canberra needs to strengthen its engagement with the region to grow a sustainable Space economy for the benefit of all.
  • 17 Nov 2022
    • Defence & Security
    • Space exploration

    Putting a stop to destructive anti-satellite weapons tests

    Cassandra Steer
    Australia is helping bolster an emerging global norm that will secure space for the benefit of all.
  • 18 Aug 2022
    • Space exploration

    Space, sustainability and security: the intersection of domains

    Tom Cernev
    Mining asteroids? Growing food in space? Good governance will be essential to sharing the realm beyond Earth.
  • 9 Mar 2022
    • China
    • India
    • Space exploration

    Asia’s space race: China leads India on strategy

    Namrata Goswami
    Beijing and New Delhi’s space programs have very different backstories and have taken markedly different trajectories.
  • 12 Nov 2021
    • Australia
    • Space exploration

    It’s not rocket science, Australia needs a stronger space strategy

    Tristan Moss
    The contested and congested nature of space means this vital arena cannot be approached in a fragmented fashion.
  • 24 May 2021
    • Space exploration
    • International law

    Why did Australia sign the Moon Treaty?

    Cait Storr
    A decision made under electoral pressure in the 1980s has lasting consequences for policy in the present.
  • 29 Apr 2021
    • China
    • Technology
    • Space exploration

    China’s leap into space

    Morris Jones
    The newly launched space station has no crew as yet, but the invite list makes for plenty of speculation.
  • 15 Dec 2020
    • United Nations
    • Space exploration

    Bringing space law into the 21st century

    Donald R Rothwell
    The international agreements around outer space, which date to the Cold War, are being tested by new space activity.

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