Search for: All records

This paper presents a serious game that simulates a water crisis triggered by the spill of an unregulated chemical. The game includes five stakeholder roles representing a chemical manufacturer, resident, water treatment plant, environmental agency, and health department, in addition to a facilitator role. The game seeks to provide players with practical experience of the communication and collaboration needed among different stakeholders to prepare for and respond to water contamination emergencies. Initial findings from game sessions with 41 participants suggest that frequent, proactive, and transparent communication can expedite the decision-making process and resolve the crisis more effectively. The game results also reveal challenges in inter-organizational coordination and communication, highlighting the need for training and standardized communication terminologies and protocols. 

Abstract Recent advancements have significantly enhanced the capabilities for in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM), to develop infrastructure in orbit and on the surface of celestial bodies. This progress is a departure from the traditional sustainability paradigm focused solely on Earth, highlighting the urgent need to define and operationalize the concept of “space sustainability” along with the development of an evaluation framework. The expansion of human activity into space, particularly in low-earth orbit, cis-lunar space, and beyond, underscores the critical importance of considering sustainability implications. Leveraging space resources offers economic growth and sustainable development opportunities, while reducing pressure on Earth’s ecosystems. This paradigm shift requires responsible and ethical utilization of space resources. A space sustainability assessment framework is essential for guiding ISAM capabilities, operations, missions, standards, and policies. This paper introduces an initial framework encompassing (1) pollution, (2) resource depletion, (3) landscape alteration, and (4) space environmental justice, with potential metrics (resources use and emissions, midpoint, and endpoint indicators) to measure impacts in the four domains.