The Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which was intended to regulate activities in space, is hard to enforce and woefully out of date. New nations and private actors are entering the spaceflight arena, and an updated mechanism with a bit more teeth is needed. Our guest, Ely Sandler, a Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, has put forward the idea of using COPs—not the kind in uniform, but a Conference of Parties—as a less-formal gathering of spacefaring (and space-ambitious) entities, to discuss future treaties, agreements, and enforcement mechanisms, eventually leading to new treaties. These would be similar to the annual climate COP that has provided useful discourse on climate change. A space COP would address responsibility for and control of orbital assets, land and resource use on the Moon, Mars, and asteroids; and possibly limits to the militarization of space. Join us for a fascinating discussion!

Headlines:
• Artemis II Moon Rocket Rolls Out for Launch Preparations
• Crew-11 Astronauts Speak on Space Station Medical Evacuation
• Earth Faces Strongest Solar Radiation Storm in 20 Years
• Auroras Sparked Across Unusual Latitudes

Main Topic: Is the Outer Space Treaty Obsolete? Examining the Future of Space Governance with Ely Sandler
• Outer Space Treaty's Vagueness and Limits for Modern Space Activity
• Why New Space Policy Models Are Needed for Orbital Debris, Spacecraft Ownership, and Liability
• "Conference of the Parties" (COP) Model Proposed for Space Law Updates
• Challenges of Property Rights, Exclusion Zones, and International Consensus on the Moon
• How Commercial Space and Military Concerns Intersect Under Outdated Treaties
• Space Solar Power's Potential and Regulatory Hurdles for Energy Beaming

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Ely Sandler

Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.

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NASA's history is a long and fascinating story, and we decided we'd invite former NASA Chief Historian Dr. Roger Launius onto the show to tell us about how NASA tracks its history, the public's perceptions of spaceflight, and how our understanding of the past might inform our future in space. Also the Crew 11 return, Artemis II rollout, and MAVEN, phone home! Join us for this engaging conversation!

Headlines:

• NASA Completes First-Ever Medical Evacuation From the ISS
• Artemis 2 Megarocket Rolls Out to the Launch Pad Amid Tight Schedule
• NASA Attempts to Revive MAVEN Spacecraft Around Mars

Main Topic: Chronicling the Space Age — With Dr. Roger Launius

• How NASA's First Chief Historian Got Hooked on Space
• The Role and Daily Work of a NASA Chief Historian
• Transitioning From NASA to Smithsonian: Culture, Audience, and Mission
• Is This a "Second Space Age"? Commercial Players and Evolving Space Policy
• Public Attitudes Toward Space: Then and Now—Separating Myth From Reality
• Historical Parallels Between Apollo and Artemis and the Notion of a New Space Race
• Challenges of Public Engagement and NASA's Struggle to Stay In the Spotlight
• Media Fragmentation, Social Media, and Changing Consumption of Space News
• The Rise of Moon Landing Conspiracies Amid Information Abundance
• The Vital Importance of Documenting Accidents and Hard Lessons in Space History
• Preserving Space History in the Digital Era—From Paper to Tweets
• Dr. Roger Launius' Upcoming Book: NASA History in 100 Objects

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Roger Launius

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2026 promises to be the most exciting year in the new space age yet! Shining bright is the prospect of an Artemis II launch to send astronauts around the moon for the first time since 1972, as early as February. We've already seen news about a medical incident on the International Space Station that will force a crew to return to Earth early, but NASA says this won't affect the Artemis launch. On other news, NASA's budget seems on track to be passed at near 2025 levels, China is preparing to send a robot to the south lunar pole, SpaceX plans robust tests of Starship this year—and hopefully refinement of their lander for Artemis III, Boeing will fly Starliner again (uncrewed), Mars Sample Return is poised to be scuttled, and all this under the leadership of a new—and apparently quite capable—NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman. Join us for an in-depth look at what's coming in 2026!

Headlines:

• Medical evacuation planned for ISS astronauts due to health concerns
• NASA Chief Jared Isaacman leads first big press conference amid ISS medical incident
• Artemis 2 lunar mission remains on track for February launch
• Orion spacecraft heat shield faces scrutiny ahead of crewed flight
• NASA budget nearly secured—Congress backs full funding for 2026
• Mars Sample Return project faces likely cancellation
• SpaceX Starship gears up for crucial orbital and refueling tests
• Blue Origin's Blue Moon lunar lander launch delayed, competition heats up
• China's lunar, asteroid, and orbital missions ramp up for 2026
• Boeing Starliner and Sierra Space Dream Chaser schedule ISS cargo missions
• New moon landers, asteroid missions, and global crewed capsule tests coming in 2026
• NASA's Roman Space Telescope possibly launching this year

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.

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