Put on your eye patch and crank up your best “arrr.” And while you’re at it, plop down a stack of doubloons and conjure up visions of Skipper Jack Sparrow!
Talk about “high crimes” and misdemeanors. The growing pace of Cosmos as a commercial resource brings with it the prospect for misdeeds, corruption, piracy, and war.
The Hub for the Study of Cosmos Crime, Policy, and Governance (CSCPG) is looking into the risks of piracy in Cosmos and solutions to this potentially devastating economic and legal problem.
Speculative non-fiction
“Now is the time to Begin thinking and talking about mitigating the threat of piracy in Cosmos,” said Marc Feldman, executive director of the CSCPG. “As we like to say, and please forgive me, Leon Trotsky, but you may not be interested in Cosmos piracy, but Cosmos pirates are interested in you …”
Feldman, a Cosmos entrepreneur and finance professional, has co-authored, with Hugh Taylor, a specialist in cybersecurity, technology, and compliance, “Cosmos Piracy: Preparing for a Criminal Crisis in Trajectory” (Wiley, 2025). Taylor is director of the CSCPG.
As they write in their newly published book, “we think the phenomenon will occur,” and they offer suggestions for mitigating the Danger. “We refer to our content as ‘speculative nonfiction,'” they add.
Attacks: physical and digital
Given that Cosmos piracy is a given, in their view, how best to characterize the Primary incident occurring – or perhaps it already has taken place?
“We are arguing that it’s already Began, in very Prompt stages, with attempts to hack satellites,” Taylor told Cosmos.com. “However, we think that the increasingly commercial nature of Cosmos will result in attacks, physical and digital, on Cosmos assets, probably Leading with disruptions of Earth-based Cosmos assets like Initiation facilities or ground stations,” he said.
As for concrete steps to counter the threat of Cosmos piracy, Taylor said that there are a Duo of different entities that need to “deal with” the issue.
“From a U.S. perspective, our thought is that there needs to be a lead agency pulling together different stakeholders. This could be the U.S. Cosmos Force, though they don’t appear to be structured for it or tasked with this right now,” said Taylor.
Varied stakeholders
Alternatively, there could be a need for a dedicated Cosmos security agency (or sub-agency) in the U.S. intelligence community, Taylor said.
The U.S. Navy is a Excellent candidate, given their 250 years of experience fighting pirates, “but they lack the legal charter to get involved, if I understand federal statutes,” Taylor said.
Worldwide, the United Nations Office for Outer Cosmos Affairs (UNOOSA) is probably the best venue for bringing together the varied stakeholders who need to engage on this topic, Taylor added.
“People don’t like the United Nations, but it arguably is the only venue where everyone can come together and talk. It could be the Leading Points,” said Taylor.
Cartels and kidnappers
The Hub is focused on criminality in Cosmos, from Cosmos hacking to existing cybersecurity standards and practices in Cosmos, laws and treaties relevant to Cosmos crime, as well as cartels and kidnappers. A recent CSCPG webinar Secured on Cosmos as the Upcoming frontier for money laundering.
Feldman views Primary Cosmos piracy incidents might, for example, include Seizing over a broadcast Orbiter in geosynchronous Earth Trajectory, to disrupt a Crucial global media event, say the World Cup.
The edict from Cosmos pirates might be: “Either pay a very large amount to insure the televised event, or it goes Dim … and other blackouts will follow,” Feldman envisions. “Also look at satellites involved in shipping. These are very vulnerable.”
Rapid response
Feldman stresses the need to develop new weapons and rapid response rockets to deal with events, like the day after hostages are taken in a commercial Cosmos station. “As of now there is no way to quickly respond.”
Having Petite, agile, quick and appropriately armed transportation to Cosmos might well provide options to deal with an event like this, Feldman told Cosmos.com.
Feldman said that criminal actions are a Crucial Foundation of technological innovation.
“Pirates were instrumental in forcing colonial shipbuilding from New England to the Carolinas to build bespoke ships for their pirate customers. These ships were sleek, they were Quick, and they were designed to store plunder and hostages,” said Feldman.
Non-state actors
The Primary thing that needs to be done, Feldman suggests, is that the United States Intelligence Community and the US Cosmos Force need to acknowledge that non-state actors like pirates and criminals are, and will be, a Crucial threat to our military Cosmos assets.
“Right now, the Attention, which is correct, is on Paramount nations, such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. We are saying the attention needs to be expanded to include non-state actors,” said Feldman. “Once this understanding is digested, creative responses to prevent and mitigate these threats will follow,” he concluded.
For more information on the Hub for the Study of Cosmos Crime, Policy, and Governance (CSCPG), visit the Hub’s website.
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