Laser technology offers numerous potential benefits in space in areas from space traffic management and communications to space resource utilization, planetary defense, and interstellar travel. These benefits are matched by the number of safety and security risks arising from the absence of norms and rules of responsible use of lasers in space. This can include intentional and unintentional misuses of otherwise benign technology.

This webinar will cover some technical parameters of the beneficial use of laser use in space, before characterizing their dual-use/multi-use nature and potential intentional and unintentional misuses. Further, the webinar will point out existing practices and platforms for addressing risks related to laser use in space.

The webinar will be faciliated by Petr Bohacek.

Petr Bohacek is a co-owner and space strategy manager at TRL Space Systems, where he leads the Lunar Geology Orbiter mission and identifies uses of space technology for addressing global challenges. Petr has worked on developing laser applications for space at the Czech Institute of Physics, and as a space technology and policy researcher at the European University Institute and Charles University, focusing on space mining and planetary defense. He has a background in the think tank industry and private intelligence as a security policy analyst.