The Space Age was born with the launch of Sputnik in October 1957, and the world is now dependent on broad range of space applications. These include the monitoring of Earth and space weather, as well as climate change; precise time and navigation services; diverse telecommunications and broadcasting services; remote sensing and Earth observation; law enforcement and defense-related services; and a host of scientific activities. Innovative space initiatives have explored Earth’s Moon, other planets in our solar system and their moons, our Sun, and both asteroids and comets.

The current range of space activities represents over three hundred billion dollars (U.S.) per year in economic activity. So-called “New Space” activities led by entrepreneurial aerospace firms have now accelerated the rate of expansion of the space economy and spurred rapid innovation, to the point where many analysts now believe the so-called “Space Economy” will grow to trillions of dollars over the coming years.

Many space professionals now envision that space activities are destined to significantly multiply and diversify over the next few decades. These include space tourism flights by adventurous citizens, professional crews visiting Mars and beyond, and even robotic probes to other stars. Other innovative space initiatives may include the creation of permanent space settlements, the development of mega-structures in space to defend both Earth and Mars against violent solar storms and radiation, and new space systems to counter asteroid and comet strikes. Other pioneers are also championing innovative space activities to address critical environmental issues, including clearing Earth’s orbit of dangerous space debris and the creation of innovative space systems to cope with climate change and global pollution.

The future will present many challenges for humankind that the GALIX (Global Alliance for International Collaboration in Space) hopes to address (in partnership with space professionals worldwide) by both enabling more effective exchange of information among key space professionals and expanding international collaborative ventures. These key space challenges include:

Promoting peaceful, cooperative, and multilateral regulatory agreement on the uses of outer

space.

Preventing national conflicts in the space domain.

Education and training of future generations required for development in outer space.

Increased global participation, collaboration, and capacity-building to encourge all nations to

engage in this most promising future.

Creation of new space systems and technologies to help sustain life on Earth, as well as to

advance a broad range of space services.

Innovative economic, legal, and regulatory protocols, safety standards, and cooperative alliances

that can advance space development over the coming years.

GALIX is being established to enable all countries of the world — both developed and developing — to more effectively pursue and realize the benefits of space. This will involve establishing new institutional, financial, and regulatory practices to help advance collaboration in the development of new space technologies and systems that can benefit all of humankind.

GALIX will promote the discovery of new space applications, sciences, and exploration, including new ways to use space that can make Earth more sustainable. It is seeking to work with all like-minded space institutions — space agencies, space research organizations, universities and training centers, aerospace companies, international alliances and professional organizations, and even student-based associations — to promote the sharing of space-related information, technology and systems. This will include promoting worldwide development and distribution of space technologies, systems, standards, best safety practices, and educational and training materials on a cooperative basis.

In partnership with the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS) and McGill University’s Institute of Air and Space Law (IASL), GALIX will host a virtual International Congress (in the Spring of 2021) through a series of webinars (engaging expertise drawn from its Alliance members) to initiate collaborative activities promoting the development of new space technologies and systems. The goal is to expand the GALIX consortium over time to involve space-related organizations and institutions from around the world, and to continue to promote GALIX goals and objectives through future webinars, research studies, seminars, training sessions, capacity-building programs, publications, and related YouTube presentations with affiliate GALIX members.