About Us
The Space Governance Institute (SGI) Movement
The Space Governance Institute represents a collective international solidarity movement. The movement is political, social, economic, and cultural. We are made up of concerned citizens and organizations across the globe who stand unified in our commitment to bringing about a binding and enforceable international space governance system that works for all of us. An effective international space governance system will put the global public good first, ahead of the self-interests of powerful states, corporations, elites, and billionaires seeking to dominate outer space at the expense of individuals and communities worldwide.
Our history
SGI was incorporated as a veteran owned, U.S. (New Hampshire) based public benefit corporation in November 2025. The idea for SGI was born out of frustration, disillusionment, disbelief, and anger with respect to the how the current powers that dominate and control outer space—powerful, well-resourced nations, corporations, elite institutions, and billionaires—are driving the domain toward catastrophe and collapse.
Despite producing many benefits and services, these powers are overwhelmingly driven by power and greed. The result has been unchecked pollution and congestion of our orbits, dangerous military escalation, and resource appropriation in violation of the Outer Space Treaty. But, because much of this information is unreported and deliberately ignored due to greed or fear, there is little to no political will to drive needed change.
SGI was formed to create the political will necessary for change—to inform, educate, advocate, and lobby for new binding treaties, laws, regulations, standards, and policies that will bring about a more just and peaceful outer space.
For additional information, see our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Our mission
SGI’s mission is to promote, advocate for, and achieve a more just, equitable, peaceful, sustainable, and democratic outer space. Our goal is to help bring about a binding national and international governance system for outer space that prioritizes the global public good over all other interests. It is only through robust and collaborative international governance that we can ensure that outer space remains accessible and safe for future generations regardless of race, religion, creed, political opinion, or national origin. We will accomplish our mission through the following:
- Articulating a philosophy of space governance that will inspire international solidarity and ground space governance in universally accepted moral and ethical principles
- Generating the political will necessary for change through public education efforts
- Advocating, lobbying for, and supporting the enactment of: treaties; international and national laws, regulations, standards, and policies; and positive norms of behavior in space
- Engaging in advising, consulting, impact litigation (and litigation support) when necessary to drive needed change
For additional information see our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Doug's Research, Writing, and Speaking
Research Reports
Ligor, Douglas; LaTourette, Tom, et. al., Considerations for Regulating the Commercial Human Spaceflight Market: Lessons for Balancing Market Growth and Public Safety, RAND Report RR-A4317-1, December 17, 2025
Thompson, Lyndal; Ligor, Douglas, C. Ben Gibson; et. al., Space Governance and Social Network Analysis: A Brief Exploration, RAND Report, RR-A3822-1, July 23, 2025.
McClintock, Bruce; McCormick, Dan; Feistel, Katie; Kochhar, Ajay; Lee, Mary; Ligor, Douglas, et. al., Select Space Concepts for the New Space Era, RAND Perspective, PE-A2644-1, November 14, 2023.
McClintock, Bruce; Ligor, Douglas; McCormick, Dan; et. al., The Time for International Space Traffic Management is Now, RAND Research Brief, RB-A-1949-1, June 5, 2023.
McClintock, Bruce; Ligor, Douglas; McCormick, Dan; et. al., International Space Traffic Management: Charting a Course for Long-Term Sustainability, RAND Report, RR-A-1949-1, June 5, 2023.
Ligor, Douglas; Miller, Benjamin M., McCollester, Maria; et. al., Assessing the Readiness for Human Commercial Spaceflight Safety Regulations: Charting a Trajectory from Revolutionary to Routine Travel, RAND Report, RR-A2466-1, April 3, 2023.
McCormick, Dan; Ligor, Douglas; McClintock, Bruce, Cross-Domain Lessons for Space Traffic Management, RAND Report, RR-A2208-2, January 25, 2023.
Ligor, Douglas; McClintock, Bruce, Nasty, brutish, and short—the Future of Space Operations in the Absence of the Rule of Law: Addressing Congestion, Contestation, and Competitiveness in the New Space Era, NATO Legal Gazette, Issue 42, December 28, 2021, pp. 53 to 67.
McClintock, Bruce; Feistel, Katie; Ligor, Douglas, O’Connor, Kathryn, Responsible Space Behavior for the New Space Era, RAND Perspective, PE-A887-2, April 22, 2021.
Priebe, Miranda; Ligor, Douglas; et. al., Multiple Dilemmas for the Joint Force; Joint All-domain Command and Control, RAND Research Report RR-A381-1, December 3, 2020.
Book Chapters
Ligor, Douglas and Feistel, Katie, “Chapter 8: Soft Law—Non-binding “Rules” of the Road and Norms of Behavior,” in Waging Peace in Orbit, Georgetown University Press, publishing date forthcoming in 2025.
Commentaries / Op-eds
LaTourette, Tom and Ligor, Douglas, New Turmoil in Regulating Deep Seabed Mining on the High Seas, Modern Diplomacy (www.moderndiplomacy.com), April 27, 2025
Ligor, Douglas and Becker, Josh, Enter Outer Space at Your Own Risk?, SPACENEWS
(www.spacenews.com), May 16, 2023
Ligor, Douglas, Reduce Friction in Space by Amending the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, War on the Rocks (www.warontherocks.com), August 26, 2022.
Ligor, Douglas and Matthews, Luke, What a 1970s philosophical concept can teach us about space governance, Fastcompany (www.fastcompany.com), May 9, 2022.
Press Interviews and Podcasts
In Challenger's wake: The ethics of sending citizens to space, NPR's Outside/In, January 26, 2026, at: https://outsideinradio.org/shows/in-challengers-wake-the-ethics-of-citizens-in-space
The Need for Strengthened Space Traffic Management, Apogee Magazine, November 7, 2025, at: https://apogee-magazine.com/features/the-need-for-strengthened-space-traffic-management/
How to Prevent Catastrophe in Outer Space, Deanna Lee, Policy Minded Podcast, The RAND Corporation, July 17, 2025 at: https://www.rand.org/pubs/podcasts/policy-minded/2025/how-to-prevent-catastrophe-in-outer-space.html
Power failed at SpaceX mission control before September spacewalk by NASA nominee, Marisa Taylor and Joey Roulette, Reuters, December 17, 2024 at: https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/power-failed-spacex-mission-control-before-september-spacewalk-by-nasa-nominee-2024-12-17/
Space is becoming more commercializes. Can regulations keep?, Elizabeth Hlavinka, Salon.com, February 21, 2024 at: Space is becoming more commercialized. Can regulations keep up? | Salon.com.
FAA anticipates extension of commercial spaceflight regulatory learning period, Jeff Foust, SpaceNews.com, October 28, 2023 at: FAA anticipates extension of commercial spaceflight regulatory learning period - SpaceNews.
Space Tourism: The Next Great Leap, CBS News: CBS Reports, September 28, 2023: at https://www.cbsnews.com/video/space-tourism-the-next-great-leap-cbs-reports/.
Learning period’ for US commercial space regulations should be extended, Sen. Cruz says, Reuters, September 13, 2023 at: 'Learning period' for US commercial space regulations should be extended, Sen. Cruz says | Reuters.
The Future of Space Travel: A Discussion with Douglas C. Ligor, New Books Network Podcast, August 5, 2023 at: Podcast | The Future of Space Travel: A Discussion with Douglas C.… (newbooksnetwork.com).
Fla. Expands liability protections for burgeoning private spaceflight industry, Pluribus News, June 2, 2023 at: Fla. expands liability protections for burgeoning private spaceflight industry - Pluribus News.
Rand Corp. Sees Federal Role In Spaceflight Safety Standards, Law360, April 4, 2023 at: Rand Corp. Sees Federal Role In Spaceflight Safety Standards - Law360.
Is Outer Space the New Wild West?, Robert Wright’s Nonzero Podcast, October 26, 2022 at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dbQY45eI4A.
Space is crowded, messy, and dangerous, says this expert, and it need better road rules, Australian Broadcasting Company, June 21, 2022 at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-22/space-needs-better-road-rules.
After Returning to the Moon, How Will Astronauts Get Around?, Wall Street Journal, November 8, 2021 at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/after-returning-to-the-moon-how-will-astronauts-get-around-11636387210.
US Air Force Secretary Nominee: North Korea Threatens Space Security, Radio Free Asia, May 28, 2021 at: https://www.rfa.org/korean/in_focus/news_indepth/spacethreat-05282021145200.html.
Keeping Track of Space Debris, MilsatMagazine, March 2021 at: http://www.milsatmagazine.com/index.php?number=1365484266#.
Speaking Engagements, Panels, and Presentations
Speaker and Panelist, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80) Science Summit 2025:
Session 1: Advancing Space Safety Governance Models; Session 2: Advancing Global Space Safety Governance Roles. Session sponsor: International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS), virtual, September 11thand 18th, 2025.
Keynote Speaker, Speaker, Session co-chair, and Panelist, 2024 International Association for the
Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS): Keynote address on space traffic management; session presentation on human spaceflight safety; co-chair of space traffic management sessions; panelist—building an international civil STM/STC organization, sponsored by the IAASS, Prague, Czech Republic, October 8-10, 2024.
Speaker/Panelist, 2024 International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) 10th Annual Space Traffic
Conference: Presentation on International Space Traffic Management (RAND Report), sponsored by IAA, the University of Texas, and MITRE Corporation, February 27-28, 2024.
Speaker/Presenter, 2023 Maine Space Conference: Presentation on International Space Traffic Management (RAND Report), sponsored by Maine Space 2030, November 6, 2023.
Panelist, 2023 Ascend Conference: Panel on “Safety Frameworks for Commercial Human Spaceflight”, sponsored by Ascend and Aerospace Corporation, Las Vegas, Nevada, October 23-25.
Participant/Panelist, 2023 AMOS Dialogue: Moving from Industry Best Practices to Space Traffic Management “Rules”, sponsored by Secure World Foundation, Maui, Hawaii, September 21, 2023 (Non-public).
Panelist, USSPACECOM Legal Conference: Panel on “Limiting Long-term Space Debris,” sponsored by USSPACECOM and the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, April 4-6, 2022.
Panelist, Challenges and Opportunities at the Dawn of the New Space Age, public workshop, sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House, https://global.upenn.edu/perryworldhouse, Philadelphia, PA, March 21, 2022.
Panelist, Cooperation and Competition: The Future of Space Diplomacy, public webinar, sponsored by the National Science Policy Network, www.scipolnetwork.org, Oakland, CA, April 2, 2021.
