Lift off from Vienna: working with the UN to protect outer space

Alien invasions, Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Trek versus Star Wars. Or the Space Race, rocket launches and astronauts exploring the moon. These might be the things that come to mind when you think of outer space. How about the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)?  You might wonder why a UN organisation is needed to monitor space. Unlike here on Earth, space is without borders, so countries need to work together to ensure we are good stewards of outer space. 

There’s a reason space is often referred to as ‘the final frontier’: we know so little about space and more is being explored every day. 95% of it has yet to be discovered but we know there are dangers in space, many caused by humans. One example is space debris – also called space junk – millions of pieces of man-made rubbish from satellites, rockets and even old space equipment which are currently orbiting the earth. This space debris – which is whizzing around at high speeds – can damage the important technology we all rely on, for example, satellites used for communications or weather forecasting. To tackle this, countries are working together to clear space debris – like a giant vacuum cleaning exercise!  The UK funds lots of this important work and internationally we champion the importance of space sustainability to ensure that space continues to support the environmental, economic and scientific interests of future generations. 

UNOOSA promotes international cooperation to keep space a safe, sustainable and accessible place and it promotes the peaceful use and exploration of space and strengthens the capacity of developing countries to use space science and technology, whether that’s global navigation or using satellite imagery to prevent and manage disasters. Here in Vienna, Member States meet in the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). Here you can watch a video from the last COPUOS meeting to find out more about our work.

This month, we are delighted to welcome British national, Aarti Holla-Maini, as the new Director of UNOOSA. Aarti has worked in the space sector for 25 years and it’s a big deal to have a Brit leading a UN agency. I am looking forward to seeing where Aarti takes UNOOSA and where our space exploration and advances take us. Beyond the final frontier as someone once said…  

#ViennaOpportunities 

If you’re a space enthusiast, then UNOOSA is a great place to gain work experience in the international space sector. British national, Andrew Peebles, works as the Associate External Affairs Officer at UNOOSA in Vienna. Watch Andy’s story to find out how a degree in history and work experience abroad landed him a job in space: 

The UK Mission and British Embassy in Vienna are showcasing stories of Brits working in the international system in Vienna. Follow the conversation on our UK Mission Vienna Twitter and the hashtag #ViennaOpportunities. 

If you’re interested in working for an international organisation, you can receive job alerts from impactpool.org.