considered in this forum at least since the WARC-71 revision of the radio regulations concerning coordination of geostationary satellite positions. The Law of the Sea negotiations and the Moon Treaty debate also indicate a strong Third World desire to share the benefits of applying advanced technology to the problems of resource utilization. The geostationary orbit debate is a manifestation of an underlying political dispute over the implementation and interpretation of the principles embodied in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, as are the claims of the Bogota nations to segments of the geostationary orbit. It is recognized that as satellite technology advances, the present regulatory regime may not be sufficient to equitably distribute the benefits derived from use of this orbit. Many legal experts are of the opinion that in the near future (apparently well before the SPS is operational), a new agreement for the rational use of the geostationary orbit will be negotiated. The UNCOPUOS is expected to assume an expanded role in this matter. The most significant aspect of the SPS concept is the global implication of continuous power generation available to all nations. International participation in an SPS program would also provide assurance of the program’s peaceful nature, adherence to agreed-upon environmental standards, and availability of power from space on a global scale. Furthermore, international involvement should assure that the SPS will not be controlled by any one industrial organization, sector of industry, or even one nation. Fears of military involvement could be an incentive to establishing a multinational regime to operate or regulate SPSs, and to prohibit militarily effective SPS designs. As the effects of the SPS technologies will extend past national frontiers, decisions regarding their development should not be left exclusively to national jurisdiction, but be made part of transnational affairs. The benefits of the SPS should be available on a global basis and should increase the opportunities for developing nations to take an active part in the utilization of energy available in space. The SPS concept should advance the complementary national interests of both developed and developing nations. A political consensus will need to emerge, in spite of diverse and contending interests, through widespread realization that humanity is embarked on a dangerous passage together in a world of finite resources, ultimate weapons, and unmet requirements. The significant progress that has been made as a result of the many studies being performed on the SPS is resulting in the growing conviction that the SPS is one of the promising power-generation options which could contribute to meeting global energy demands in the 21st century. Its successful implementation, together with energy conservation measures and solar energy applications on Earth, could lead to the elimination of energy-related concerns. The internationalization of SPS is virtually imperative for environmental considerations, military implications, the necessity of reaching international consensus on microwave exposure standards, geostationary orbital allocations and radio spectrum interference problems. Last but not least, the opening of SPS programs to full international participation would create a framework for the sharing of costs and responsibilities in the R&D phase which, in turn, may serve as a kind of measuring device in determining the distribution of benefits if and when the system becomes operational. The SPS could provide not only the impetus for peaceful cooperation among nations because all can share the limitless resources of space, but could also help civilization to make the inevitable transition to renewable sources of energy. The SPS provides a focus for international endeavors to utilize space to improve the
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