Space Generation Advisory Council


The Space Generation Advisory Council, in support of the United Nations Program on Space Applications, is a non-governmental organization and professional network, whose goal is to convey the perspectives of students and young space professionals to the United Nations, space industry, space agencies, and academia.

About

The SGAC is a network of students, young professionals, and alumni in the space industry that currently represents over 27,000 members across 165 countries. SGAC operates in the six official languages of the United Nations, though the official working language is English.
Since 2018, SGAC has been an official Partner of the International Astronautical Federation. SGAC involves its membership in the development of a progressive space policy that supports advancing humanity through the peaceful use of space. Membership with SGAC is free of charge.
As a non-profit organization, SGAC relies on the sponsorship and support of governmental, non-governmental, and industry organizations and support via donations from individuals.

History

In December 1997, the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs Secretariat invited the International Space University to organize a young adult forum, as part of the UNISPACE III Conference in July 1999 in Vienna. The result was the Space Generation Forum, wherein 160 young people from 60 countries discussed topics relating to the progress of space exploration, which included: science, engineering, technology, law, ethics, art, literature, anthropology, and architecture. More than 100 visions and ideas were generated during the conference, written as recommendations.
The ten most impactful ideas were integrated into the "Declaration of the Space Generation", approved by the UNISPACE III Plenary as the SGF's Technical Report. Five of these ten recommendations were adopted into the Vienna Declaration on Space and Human Development. One of the recommendations was "to create a council to support the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space by raising awareness and exchanging fresh ideas among young adults. The vision is to employ the creativity and vigor of younger generations in advancing humanity through the peaceful uses of space." From this, the Space Generation Advisory Council in Support of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications was established.
In 2001, SGAC earned Permanent Observer status in UN COPUOS, and in 2003, SGAC earned consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The organization officially opened its headquarters at the European Space Policy Institute in 2005 in Vienna and hired its first paid employee in 2006. Today, the organization's professional network comprises over 27,000 members from 165+ countries in 6 geographic regions.

Organization

The leadership consists of an executive council, two elected co-chairs, and 12 elected regional coordinators. The Executive Council is supported by an appointed Executive Committee, which is made up of a treasurer, executive secretaries, event managers, and other executive team members. The rest of the organization is made up of the National Points of Contact, up to two per participating nation, and the 27,000+ members who support the Space Generation Network.
A General Assembly is held annually and brings together the National Points of Contact and the Executive Council to approve or reject propositions introduced by the Executive Council and to change the statutes of the organization.
SGAC works with many external space-related organizations from all around the world. The list of SGAC partners includes organizations from industry, government, academia, and other non-profits. A complete list of the sponsors and supporters is available on the SGAC website.
The organization receives advice from its advisory and honorary boards.

Advisory Board

SGAC's Advisory Board is designed to give strategic direction and advice to SGAC in order to help guide the organization in the fulfillment of its goals and objectives. It provides feedback on the work of the organization and suggests ways in which to improve its functions and its engagement. The board is composed of twelve board members, each of whom serves for a two-year term. The advisory board members are members of the international space community.

Honorary Board

SGAC’s Honorary Board is composed of individuals who have served the organization in the past and whom SGAC wishes to "recognize for their furtherance of goals similar to those of SGAC".

Executive Director

SGAC’s executive director is in charge of:
  • Representing SGAC at international events and conferences such as the International Astronautical Congress and the United Nations.
  • Leading the development and execution of the SGAC strategy.
  • Working closely with the SGAC teams on the development and facilitation of opportunities for SGAC's members in the space sector.
  • Mobilizing new partnerships, and, in particular, pursuing opportunities for funding in order to ensure financial sustainability for the organization.

    Operations Officer

SGAC’s Operations Officer is responsible for supporting the management of SGAC's operations. This includes project planning, scheduling and managing, capacity and utilization management, delegating work to meet deliverables, and tracking the status of outstanding work from the different SGAC teams.

Chairs

SGAC’s Co-Chairs are elected for a two-year mandate by the SGAC Executive Committee and are responsible for leading the Executive Committee and supervising the activities of the SGAC staff, contractual obligations, and financial activities.

Regional Coordinators

SGAC’s Regional Coordinators are members of the SGAC Executive Committee. They coordinate activities in their region, oversee the work of the National Points of Contact, have voting rights on SGAC issues at the Executive Committee, and elect the Co-Chairs of the organization.

Activities

SGAC involvement with the UN

The Space Generation Advisory Council has a global presence with a diverse member base, and engages across various sectors within the space industry. Outputs from SGAC's events and project groups significantly contribute to shaping space policy at various levels.
These contributions have been acknowledged and cited by numerous delegations within the context of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
  • UN Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space. SGAC has Permanent Observer status in UN COPUOS and is regularly present at its annual meeting and at its two subcommittees' meetings: Legal and Scientific and Technical. As one of the 20 Permanent Observers in COPUOS, SGAC contributes to the activities and action teams of COPUOS with statements and presentations of the various work that SGAC's network produces throughout the year. This includes the reporting of the recommendations gathered at the annual Space Generation Congress, the Space Generation Fusion Forum, and regional and local events.
  • UN Office of Outer Space Affairs. SGAC works together with OOSA in promoting UN workshops and in supporting SGAC members to attend various conferences around the world.
  • UN Economic and Social Committee. SGAC became a member of ECOSOC in 2003. In this position, SGAC attends the UN General Assembly every year and represents young professionals and university students. SGAC ECOSOC representatives report back on the important recommendations from all UN Member States.
  • Space Generation Forum 2.0. In 2018, the Space Generation Forum 2.0 was held to celebrate almost two decades since SGAC's first Space Generation Forum at UNISPACE III in 1999. The Forum was held in Vienna from the 16 to 17 of June 2018 as the international space community convened for UNISPACE+50 and the 61st session of COPUOS. Seven working groups were created, taking into consideration the four pillars and seven thematic priorities of the framework in which UNISPACE +50 was developed.
  • Space for Youth Competition. In 2019, the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs and SGAC launched the Space for Youth Competition for students and young professionals. The initiative is designed to foster innovative solutions and approaches for addressing climate issues by utilizing space technologies. This effort aligns with the objectives of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The United Nations underscores the significance of youth development and involvement as integral elements within its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this context, the UN Youth Strategy, inaugurated in September 2018 by the Secretary-General, acknowledges the empowerment, development, and participation of young people as both ends in themselves and as instrumental in shaping a more promising future.

    Events

  • Space Generation Congress . The SGAC holds an annual event called the Space Generation Congress, which is held in conjunction with the International Astronautical Congress organized by the International Astronautical Federation. The event is attended by approximately 150 top university students and young professionals with a passion for space. The attendees are SGAC members selected through a competitive application process. With the Space Generation Congress, SGAC aims to hone and promote the voice of the university students and young professionals on the topic of international space development through the future leaders of the space sector. The Space Generation Congress addresses a diverse range of topics such as autonomy, commerce, community dynamics, discovery, and external engagement. Its findings and proposals are annually submitted to the United Nations at subsequent UN COPUOS sessions. The venue for the Space Generation Congress changes yearly, aligning with the International Astronautical Congress which also shifts its location annually.
  • Space Generation Fusion Forum. The inaugural Space Generation Fusion Forum took place in conjunction with the National Space Symposium on April 15 & 16, 2012 in Colorado, USA at The Broadmoor resort. The SGFF has since become an annual event in conjunction with the Space Symposium in Colorado, USA. The SGFF offers the next young generation of space sector leaders from government, industry, and academia the opportunity to come together to exchange views on current, hot space topics via interactive panels. The program also allows these top delegates to network with each other as well as with today's current space leaders, who speak on and moderate the panels. The Fusion Forum provides an opportunity for international collaboration since the participants come from all over the world.
  • SGx. In partnership with Future Space Leaders Foundation and SATELLITE, SGx is a technology-focused event that brings together young professionals, industry experts, and government leaders to discuss pressing issues and innovative ideas.
  • Regional Events. The Space Generation Workshop series provides an opportunity to SGAC members to share regional perspectives on space activities. They are large regional events that bring together students and young professionals to discuss current and upcoming space sector opportunities and challenges with a regional perspective. Through these workshops, the SGAC aims to promote the voice of the next generation of space leaders in each of its six regions.
  • Local Events. Local events are the backbone of SGAC activities in a country and contribute to connect the global space community. Together with national mailing lists, these events help National Points of Contact to grow their local support networks.
  • Online Events. SGAC Project Groups, National Points of Contact, and other SGAC team members regularly organize SGAC Webinars and other activities online. Webinars are an important way for SGAC to generate content for its online presence as well as to connect and engage with its global community. These events make SGAC activities accessible to a much broader audience.
Regional, Local, and Online Events can be organized by any SGAC members by submitting a proposal on the SGAC Events Platform.