Winner of the Arms Control Idol 2020

Arms Control Idol 2020 was a competition run by the Centre for Science and Security Studies at Kings College London intended to spark “imaginative thinking” on the future of arms control and support early career researchers in the field. The first round was a written submission of 250 words, five submissions would then be selected for a five-minute oral pitch. The idea was to be a sort of ‘elevator pitch’, as if we were in the elevator with a group of senior arms control experts. Thomas Cheney's winning pitch was for an Anti-satellite Weapons (ASAT) Test Ban Treaty. Space debris is one of the major issues facing the space community today and ASAT testing, especially destructive tests, is therefore a significant hazard for the sustainability of outer space. The four others were focused on cyber security, autonomous weapons systems, anti-tank weapons and a model UN style mock arms control conference.