International Space Law and the United Nations is a comprehensive collection of writings by the author on this latest branch of international law. The book covers a number of subjects highlighted by discussions of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its Legal Subcommittee. The book also takes into account the influences that international organizations have had on the development of space law and includes several perspectives of developing countries on this subject. This publication is an outstanding educational and reference tool, as the author tackles this complex subject in an organized and rational manner. The author, a key participant at the United Nations in the development of international law relating to activities in space, traces the history of that development, giving clear insight into the workings of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, and establishes space law as a distinct legal discipline. Subsequent chapters are devoted to the various issues that have given rise to the growth of this discipline, including arms control; economic and social development; specific provisions contained in the outer space treaties and how they relate to practical matters, such as dispute resolution; private sector growth and commercialization in space activities; international cooperative programmes, particularly those developed under the auspices of the United Nations, and recent developments and future issues facing the space-faring community. The book is an excellent source for further research in the field of space law. It is a must for students and practitioners and those interested in international organizations.

Space Law: A Case Study for the Practitioner: Implementing a Telecommunications Satellite Business Concept concentrates on the law governing commercial space ventures, commercial telecommunications satellite projects, in particular. The telecommunications satellite industry is by far the most mature of all the commercial space industries with a commensurate body of law governing it, & many of the same types of regulatory processes & private law transactions discussed in this book also pertain to the implementation of other commercial, & even non-commercial & military space ventures. The reader will find a clear description of the necessary legal actions lawyer & client must take to provide for the construction, launching & operation of a privately-owned telecommunications satellite. Both international & national laws & regulations pertaining to space projects are discussed. A step-by-step approach to legal actions has been adopted to help make the book a practical, easy-to-use reference tool. It is designed to assist lawyers in private practice, government attorneys, corporate legal counsel, entrepreneurial executives & teachers & students of space law.

Francis Lyall and Paul B. Larsen have been involved in teaching and researching space law for over 50 years. This new edition of their well-received text gathers together their knowledge and experience in readable form, and covers developments in all space applications, including space tourism, telecommunications, the ITU and finance. With an extensive citation of the literature, the discussion provides an excellent source for both students and practitioners.

Launch activities performed by private entities deal with a complex legal environment. The Space Treaties provide a general liability framework. Launch participants are subject to regulatory or institutional control, and to domestic liability laws. Specific contractual practice has developed due to insurance limitations, the inter-participants' waivers of liability and claims. This book synthesizes information on the norms of play, to allow the grasp of their relative weight and interactions in the assessment of liability risk for launch activities. It reveals a legal framework presently lacking sufficient predictability for an efficient liability risk management: the waivers of liability suffer weaknesses as do all such clauses, and lack uniformity and reliability; and the Space Treaties contain ambiguous terms preventing predictable determination of the States responsible for authorizing and supervising launch activities and for damage compensation, and do not reflect the liability of launch operators. This book offers suggestions of new approaches for: harmonizing waivers of liability to improve their consistency, validity and flow-down; and improving the Space Treaties for their implementation to non-governmental launch activities. In the launch community, the need for lawmaking is less compelling than in fields such as aviation. Nevertheless, adjustments to the present framework are proposed through model clauses and an international instrument, for further thinking and contribution by those sharing the opinion that creative lawmaking is needed now to prepare for tomorrow's endeavors.

This book offers a compendium of diverse essays on emerging legal issues in outer space, written by experts in the field of Space Law from different parts of the globe. The book comprehensively addresses opportunities in space and the inevitable legal challenges that these space activities pose for mankind. It explores the increasing role of private sector in outer space, which calls for a review of policy and legislation; invites opinio juris from law scholars for ensuring the applicability of the Outer Space Treaty on all states without ratification and universal abidance with Space Law without demur; reflects upon the challenges for the global space community involved in implementing a more effective approach to international space governance; and considers the use of domestic laws, and the consequent need for legal reform, to encourage broader engagement with commercial space innovation. Further, the book delves into the adequacy of existing international liability regime to protect space tourists in the event of a space vehicle accidents; examines the increasing use of space for military activities and canvasses how International Law may apply to condition behaviour; highlights the challenges of scavenging space debris; calls for protections of space assets; touches upon the legal regime pertaining to ASAT and discusses other ways of creating normative instruments, which also come from other areas and use other methods. Given its comprehensive coverage of opportunities in space and the inevitable legal challenges that they pose, the book offers a valuable resource for students, researchers, academics and professionals including government officials, industry executives, specialists, and lawyers, helping them understand essential contemporary issues and developments in Space Law.

It is the eve of outer space development, but few people are aware of this. In the absence of awareness, people cannot prepare for the opportunities that will arise; and so the vast wealth likely to flow to Earth from outer space will cause ever-greater inequality and instability in our already unequal and unstable world. This book is a call to educators to factor equality and diversity into the process of outer space development by creating a widespread movement to teach outer space development studies to all students, especially those who study social and behavioral sciences. In calling for this, the author is also putting out a call to visionary thinkers to increase public awareness that outer space is already in the process of being developed. Her objective is to provide a pedagogical approach aimed at mending the knowledge gap. If we fail in this objective, we are more likely than ever before to witness ever-widening gaps of social and financial inequality. The first question that will arise as we embark on this process, of course, will be: Why outer space development? People often ask where the money will come from to develop outer space. Platinum-group metals such as iridium and osmium, and various other valuable untapped natural resources, have been discovered in abundant quantities and are likely to be mined by companies. The discovery of natural resources has sparked development projects in the past. These historical patterns of human behavior are occurring again today, as companies speed up the process of private spaceship development. A myriad of space laws and policies are already in place to support space commercialization. Recently, the 2010 NASA Authorization Act and various other laws and policies initiated by the US government have placed on the agenda plans to build advanced space transportation systems; to privatize spacecraft development; to create commercial space habitats, space stations, and space settlements; to initiate commercial space mining; to investigate spacecraft trajectory optimization for landing on near-Earth asteroids; to engage in commercial spaceport construction and interstellar-interplanetary-international telecommunications; and to launch space exploration missions to near-Earth asteroids, the Moon, Mars, and Mars’s moons. US initiatives have in the past been mirrored by the international community, and we can expect to see similar patterns arising on a global scale – indeed, as this book will demonstrate, they already are. The global community is experiencing economic recession, natural disasters, lack of opportunity, employment anxiety, failing K-12 programs, widening inequality gaps, uprisings, revolutions, revolts, unmet educational goals, and a general failure to uplift, inspire, and provide meaningful opportunities for significant portions of our population. People need something that will allow them to focus anew their talents, energies, abilities, and gifts, and use this bleak climate as an opportunity for positive change. Outer space development is emerging as an answer to this state of crisis. The question is: To whom will the benefits accrue? Many strategic decisions have already been taken regarding space development of which the global general public is unaware. Once legal rights to space resources are granted, only those with the capital to take advantage of new laws and policies will be in a position to profit from the new space industries. Only those who are in a position to “know” about outer space development will be in position to take advantage of the opportunities. It is important to remember that the global general public has for several decades being paying the start-up costs for space exploration research, science, and technology. It’s not too late to factor in equality before an infrastructure of inequality is forever with us as we venture to establish the final frontier.

Poland has a long tradition of space-related research and activities, going back to the 15th-century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. In the 21st century, the Polish space sector is building stable cooperation between science and industry, developing innovative technologies, and stimulating contacts and foreign cooperation, despite the government only devoting around 0.01 percent of Poland’s GDP to its space sector. This overview of the Polish space sector covers the heritage of space-related activities in Poland, present-day development of space law in Poland, and a review of present applications and regulations in both commercial and public applications.

This book discusses the need for national space legislation in India in the wake of private stakeholders entering the field and the expansion of outer space activities. Highlighting India’s commitment to responsibly pursuing its outer space ambitions through rule of law, the book discusses the rationale behind national space legislation and addresses the requirements of both international and domestic law. In order to suggest draft framework national space legislation for India, it examines and compares the legislations of twenty major space-faring countries to identify the best practices. One of the few scientific studies in India that proposes draft framework legislation for space activities in India, this book summarizes the three main reasons why national space legislation is necessary – to fulfill international obligations, to address India’s specific requirements and to enable non-governmental entities to participate. A must read for anyone interested in international space law and India’s role and responsibility toward it, it is a valuable resource for academics, scientists, policymakers, industry executives, lawyers and students as well as amateur space enthusiasts.

China has made rapid developments in space technologies and space activities in the last few years, however, it still lags behind in the legal arena. In order to provide guidelines for and promote further development of space activities, China should speed up its national space legislation process. In National Space Law in China, Yun Zhao offers a comprehensive study of national space laws, regulations and policies in China. It contains rich information and materials of China’s space law and practice. As the first English monograph on national legislation on space law in China, this book shall contribute to the understanding of China’s current legal regime for space activities and future national space legislation.

Frans von der Dunk, a leading authority on space law, presents a nuanced introduction to the topic, explaining the legal rules, rights and obligations applicable to activities in outer space and activities that precede operations in space. He analyzes the interaction of these elements as well as how international organizations relate to the core tenets of space legislation.