THE PEACEFUL USES OF OUTER SPACE (original) (raw)

Threats to Peaceful Purposes of Outer Space: Politics and Law

Astropolitics, 2020

This paper situates the ongoing debate and recently changing political narrative around the fundamental principle of "peaceful purposes" as enshrined in the Outer Space Treaty. The origins and evolution of the meaning of peaceful purposes are discussed. Further, the paper advances arguments on numerous fronts for the international community to not fall for the misinterpretation of the Outer Space Treaty that is proffered by actors advocating for non-peaceful uses and for making outer space a warfighting domain. In this context, practical suggestions on ways to preserve outer space for peaceful purposes are advanced.

The Sustainable Use of Outer Space: Complications and Legal Challenges to the Peaceful Uses and Benefit of Humankind

Beijing Law Review , 2018

All over the world space applications are considered as vital tools for carrying development in respect of social, economic and environment. The major space faring country grows their economy, science, technology, security through the use of space. Predominantly, events for economic growth through space exploration have considered noteworthy in the international arena. An uninterrupted increase of space activities indicates that space law and policies have become significant for a large number of countries. However, increasing the space faring nations, commercialization by the public, private entities and privation of political willingness of influential countries also denote the new concern to the peaceful use of space, maintaining space safety, security and sustainability. The existing legal protection towards the peaceful and sustainable uses of space is not measured satisfactorily well-organized and competent. Particularly, the issue of commercialization of space is not well agreed. The goal of this paper is to examine the shortcomings of present regimes and legal challenges to the sustainable use of space with identifying that there is an urgent necessity for effective and more comprehensive regime not just at the international level, but also at the national level.

Outer Space Public Law: the 1958-1963 period. Part 2

Analytical and Comparative Jurisprudence

This is the fourth article in the study related to analyzing the process of regulation of space activities. Considering the results of previous studies of documents adopted by the international community during the 1958-1963 period in the regulation of space activities, this article continues the presentation of the study of the process of Outer Space Public Law development. The article describes the initiatives of the international community (including the UN General Assembly) connected with the regulation of relations among States in matters of the use of outer space and celestial bodies. First of all, it describes the process of gradual formation of one of the most important international principles of Public Space Law, which can be attributed to the group of General Principles of Space Activities, namely, "The Principle of a Useful Cosmos”. Also, legal conflicts and difficulties that arose at the initial stage of the formation of this principle as well as the consequences t...

Redux: It's Time to Rethink International Space Law

Outer space security is a front-burner topic internationally, and it is a frequent topic of discussion and the focus of rhetoric of not only the current space actors but emerging space actors as well. The meaning of the term "outer space security" has been diluted in the geopolitical environment to the extent that what it means to have outer space security and the means to attain it are subject to the point of view it is advocated from. Regardless of its meaning, the challenge with realizing and maintaining outer space security is the contradiction that arises between globalist viewpoints and the realities of geopolitical interests.

The limits of law: challenges to the global governance of space activities

2020

The development of space-related technology since the dawn of the ‘space age’ in 1957 has given rise to many new and exciting possibilities. Humankind is now seeking to embark on a broad range of space activities and the utilization of this technology forms an integral element of the global society, such that the world is dependent upon constant and unimpeded ‘access’ to space. Yet, the existing international legal and governance framework, largely developed in a very different era of space activities (1960s–1980s), is now under strain to provide the necessary certainty, standards and protections to appropriately address specific uses of space that have emerged due to recently evolving space technologies. This gives rise to a number of significant challenges for the ongoing global governance of the use and exploration of outer space and, in particular, humankind’s interaction with, and dependency on space-related technology. Important questions arise as to how to address these chall...