An international forum is saluting the 50th anniversary of the first human to orbit the Earth - but also calling attention to concerns regarding the secure and sustainable uses of outer space.

Secure World Foundation's founder and President, Cynda Collins Arsenault, is participating in a forum round table discussion on the importance of space exploration for education, science and culture.

The special roundtable is being held during the International Forum on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space, a celebration of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's milestone-making spaceflight over five decades ago.

Joining Arsenault on the panel: Narendra Bhandari of the National Science Academy of India; Dominique Proust, an astrophysicist of the Observatoire de Paris Meudon; NASA's Kirkham Gib, Director of the Exploration Systems and Aeronautics Research Division; and Thomas Culhane, a scientist and educationalist, Iraq/USA.

Moderating the panelists is Hans d'Orville, Assistant Director-General for Strategic Planning at UNESCO and Serguey Kapitza, a professor from the Russian Federation.

This exceptional event on April 21 in Paris, France is sponsored by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a historic gathering of cosmonauts, astronauts and space explorers from various countries and by scientists, astrophysicists, musicians, historians and decision-makers.

"As the first human to see the Earth from space, Yuri Gagarin recognized both the beauty and fragility of our home," Secure World Foundation's (SWF) Arsenault said. "Seeing the world as a global community has helped spark the environmental movement to protect this fragile planet."

However, 50 years after Gagarin's historic voyage - while space brings great promise - "now is the time to examine what must be done to keep space sustainable so that humanity can continue to use outer space for peaceful purposes and socioeconomic benefit," Arsenault emphasized.

Protecting the global commons of space
Arsenault pointed out that risk to the space environment arising from human activities is growing. The global threat from orbital debris, as example, is troubling for governments, multinational institutions, as well as multinational industries.

Steps must be taken to create the secure and sustainable use of space for the benefit of humanity, Arsenault said. Sustainability of space has two main components, the physical environmental - management of space debris and electromagnetic spectrum, space traffic management - and a political component, promoting stability and preventing conflict.

"Each component requires new norms, rules and mechanisms for protecting the global commons of space," Arsenault noted. In this regard, one area most ripe for work - and a major thrust of SWF's agenda - is Space Situational Awareness (SSA) - knowing what's where in the space environment.

"SSA enables space actors to operate safely and efficiently in space and creates awareness of environmental threats and allows for their potential mitigation," Arsenault said.

The peaceful uses of outer space provides a world of possibilities, indeed, a universe of possibilities, Arsenault concluded, "but it will take some careful consideration and thoughtful planning to ensure that our children and our children's children will be able to reap the benefits that space promises."