Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- SECTION I INTRODUCTION
- SECTION II DEFINING THE PROBLEM
- SECTION III MITIGATION OF AND ADAPTATION TO THE SPACE ENVIRONMENT: TECHNIQUES AND PRACTICES
- SECTION IV ECONOMIC ISSUES
- SECTION V LEGAL ISSUES
- 20 Environmental Treatymaking: Lessons Learned for Controlling Pollution of Outer Space
- 21 Regulation of Orbital Debris – Current Status
- 22 Who Should Regulate the Space Environment: the Laissez-Faire, National, and Multinational Options
- SECTION VI A MULTILATERAL TREATY
- SECTION VII PANEL DISCUSSIONS
21 - Regulation of Orbital Debris – Current Status
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 February 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- SECTION I INTRODUCTION
- SECTION II DEFINING THE PROBLEM
- SECTION III MITIGATION OF AND ADAPTATION TO THE SPACE ENVIRONMENT: TECHNIQUES AND PRACTICES
- SECTION IV ECONOMIC ISSUES
- SECTION V LEGAL ISSUES
- 20 Environmental Treatymaking: Lessons Learned for Controlling Pollution of Outer Space
- 21 Regulation of Orbital Debris – Current Status
- 22 Who Should Regulate the Space Environment: the Laissez-Faire, National, and Multinational Options
- SECTION VI A MULTILATERAL TREATY
- SECTION VII PANEL DISCUSSIONS
Summary
INTRODUCTION
Currently, there is no legal regulation of space debris. There is, however, a framework of international law into which any regulatory scheme ought to fit.
Although no law is yet in place, efforts are being undertaken by various members of the global space-user community to lay the foundation for future regulation. Technical experts are developing methods for reducing the current quantity of space debris and advocating voluntary restraint rather than legal regulation. States involved in the use and exploration of outer space are developing policies to address the question of space debris management. International organizations are beginning to study the technical, economic, legal and policy aspects of the risk to their space activities posed by space debris. Eventually and, in this author's opinion, hopefully sooner than later, serious consideration will be given to the implementation of an international legal regime for the regulation of space debris.
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of some provisions in public international law which could be applied to the regulation of space debris. Two areas of law will be canvassed: international space law and international environmental law.
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- Preservation of Near-Earth Space for Future Generations , pp. 180 - 188Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1994