By Marie Jone and Ziad Sahlab
EPFL associations SPAN, Xplore in partnership with the Institute for Global Negotiation had the pleasure to host Dr Mazlan Othman on Wednesday, November 13th. She was the first astrophysicist of Malaysia, and worked in establishing the Malaysian National Space Agency (Angkasa). For two terms, she was the director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). It was a true honour for us to discuss with her on the current and future challenges of space innovation and policy, and on her work as part of the UN.
After joining us on Zoom from Malaysia (at midnight her time!), she started by summarizing her long, prolific career at the interface of science and policy. It all started when she, a lecturer at the time, was approached by the Malaysian government to set up the foundations for space education in the country. This request kick-started her career in science policy, with positions on the national level in Malaysia and appointments in Vienna at UNOOSA. Back home, she successfully oversaw the construction of observatories and even a satellite factory, despite not having any experience in the satellite technologies herself!
When she got hired at the UN, she was not used to the protocols of international institutions and noticed first-hand the exclusion of developing countries. She recalled the time when she joined a meeting for the “like-minded group”, being denied entry because Malaysia was not part of that “club.” As the new director of the Office, her first mission was to promote inclusivity at all levels of governance. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs was initially set up during the context of the Cold War to encourage discussions between state actors on the peaceful use of outer space. Running three plenary meetings a year and multiple subgroups, the Office’s main role is to help countries to find a consensus towards the signature of treaties. With the growing threats of space militarisation, their action to prevent weaponization, or in their politically-correct jargon guarantee “long term sustainability of space activities” remains essential. Their role is also to assist countries without the technological means to have access to remote sensing, reducing inequalities between established and upcoming space agencies.
Similar to Antarctica, space access is protected by an international legally-binding treaty which restricts what can be done in space. However, the legislation, introduced at a time where only states would have the means to explore space, doesn’t directly cover private companies, they are under the responsibility of the country hosting their HQ. Dr. Othman views the expansion of private actors as a healthy development, as long as the regulation adapts to the new reality. A member of the audience asked her about the congestion in low-earth orbit satellites due to commercial use and its implication on scientific research. What she identifies has the biggest problem is the use of space for advertising, which is currently not regulated. It causes both a physical and frequency congestion hindering the work of astronomers, and jeopardising the use of space for future generations. She said that the UN was working on such issues but that it already took two years to convince states to include private companies in working groups. The institution might be slow at reaching a consensus, but once they have one, all parties feel like they have a say on the matter and therefore are more likely to comply.
What she enjoyed the most while working at the UN was the work behind the scenes to informally engage with national representatives, gathering information on the position of each country. Ahead of a negotiation, her Office would consult on behalf of countries to avoid unexpected disagreement during the meeting, as those would require the representatives to refer back to their capital, delaying any decision. She felt at ease in the diplomatic negotiation milieu, which wasn’t a given for an astrophysicist more used to the quietness of observatories. However, she noted the secretive nature of space agencies where information is rarely shared due to national security concerns. She recalled an incident when she was working in Malaysia: an Italian satellite was going to fall somewhere along the equator, possibly putting Malaysia at risk, but the Italian Space Agency initially refused to share trajectory data, so she had to convince them that she would only use it to run landing predictions. This incident highlights how building trust was one of the cornerstones of her career.
In the context of climate change and other pressing global challenges faced by the world on Planet Earth, we asked her about the justification of heavily investing in space programs instead of building more hospitals and schools. Although she can understand some of those arguments, for her, spatial research is strategic for long term progress. Our hunger to know if there is life out there questions our definition of life and drives technological development in fields such as molecular biology, which could benefit our society as a whole. “Space is information business, not just technology”.
Finally, our moderator asked what we were all curious to hear about but too shy to ask her directly: what is the protocol to communicate with aliens? Would the country where they land take the lead? Most likely not, as the world would have to speak in one voice. The Secretary-General of the United Nations would be the best placed for this and his team would contact UNOOSA to verify the veracity of information. This sounds a bit like a movie, but she is a strong believer that other forms of life exist and this is exciting!
Looking back at her pioneering journey, she said that it would have been merely impossible to plan to go from researcher to public servant to senior diplomat. She advises us to understand that the field in which you are qualified does not need to define your path ahead. Being a risk seeker at the right time (and a bit of luck) can take you far, as it did for her!
Listen to the recording of the discussion here: Mazlan_Othman_Nov24.mp4