With current and emerging challenges to the peaceful use of space on the rise, there is a growing need for measures to reduce the prospects of disruption to the ever-expanding role of space in our day-to-day lives. Space sustainability, or the ability to preserve the space environment for future generations, is gradually appearing on the agendas of broader policy decision-makers.
It is likewise contingent on peace and security. Space security provides an umbrella under which many undertakings on Earth can be pursued more peacefully.
There have been a number of efforts to advance space safety and security, both top-down and bottom-up. This paper evaluates these efforts and suggests that unilateral, bilateral and multilateral transparency and confidence-building measures (TCBM) can serve as supportive mechanisms to bring these initiatives to successful fruition.