SGR Statement

SGR calls for the protection of existing worldwide cooperative agreements regarding space to prevent 'selfish and warlike exploitation'. The organisation specifically opposes the US National Missile Defence programme, citing risks of a nuclear arms race and the waste of resources that could instead fund renewable energy technologies to combat climate change and air pollution. SGR also warns against the use of nuclear-powered spacecraft, highlighting the extreme radioactivity of Pu238 used in missions like Cassini. Finally, the statement urges civil society to reinforce treaties such as the Outer Space Treaty and the Moon Agreement against trends of increasing commercialisation and militarisation.

• SGR opposes the US National Missile Defence programme because it risks restarting the global nuclear arms race, undermines international security, and diverts resources away from beneficial uses such as primary health care and renewable energy technologies intended to reduce local air pollution and climate change.
• The use of nuclear reactors as a primary power source for spacecraft is viewed by SGR as having dangers that outweigh the benefits, specifically regarding the high radioactivity of Pu238. For example, the 23 kilograms of Pu238 on the Cassini craft has an activity of over ten million billion Becquerels, which SGR notes is equivalent to the activity of more than six tonnes of Pu239 or 400,000 tonnes of depleted uranium.
• Current trends toward the commercialisation and militarisation of space threaten existing 'global interest' agreements, including the Moon Agreement, the Outer Space Treaty, and the Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects.

APA

Scientists for Global Responsibility (2001). SGR Statement. https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/make-space-cooperation-sgr-statement

Chicago

Scientists for Global Responsibility. SGR Statement. 2001. https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/make-space-cooperation-sgr-statement.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Scientists for Global Responsibility |title=SGR Statement |date=April 2001 |url=https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/make-space-cooperation-sgr-statement |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{scientistsforglobalresponsibility2001sgr, author = {{Scientists for Global Responsibility}}, title = {{SGR Statement}}, publisher = {Scientists for Global Responsibility}, year = {2001}, month = apr, url = {https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/make-space-cooperation-sgr-statement}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }