The Space Law Stalemate: Legal Mechanisms for Developing New Norms

The governing international space law regime has been locked in a norm-creation stalemate for over 40 years,endangering the preservation of established legal principles and the sustainability of outer space activities. This discrepancy between norm creation, technological advancement, and the ecosystem of novel actors could generate serious consequences for future space activities and international relations. The book evaluates the current legal state and sheds light on potential future prospects, offering recommendations for how the UN COPUOS legal apparatus should be modified to ensure that future space activities are possible beyond anarchy, greed, and ecological irresponsibility.

Format: Hardback
Length: 228 pages
Publication date: 21 March 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The governing international space law regime has been trapped in a stagnant state of norm-creation for over four decades, posing a significant threat to the preservation of established legal principles and the sustainability of the parts of outer space that humans utilize. This stalemate endangers the future of space activities and the nature of international relations. The discrepancy between norm creation, technological advancement, and the emergence of novel actors could lead to severe consequences, including the resurgence of old rivalries in a new Cold War, the emergence of unstable peace, fragile cooperation, uneven technological development, and uncertain eco-sustainability. The prolonged legal stalemate cannot be treated as an academic matter alone, as it has broader political and economic implications of growing strategic relevance. Unresolved issues in international space law could jeopardize the survival of space as a global common, making it essential that the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) possesses the capability to adapt to ongoing changes and provide adequate global governance.

This book aims to evaluate the current legal state and shed light on potential future prospects. It provides an overview of the political context within which international space law developed, assesses successful examples in international law, and analyzes lessons learned. Based on these findings, the book makes recommendations for modifying the UN COPUOS legal apparatus to ensure that future space activities are possible beyond anarchy, greed, and ecological irresponsibility, and to uphold the principle of the peaceful uses of outer space as the governing norm.

The legal stalemate in international space law has profound implications for the future of space exploration and utilization. It highlights the need for proactive measures to address the challenges and uncertainties surrounding space activities. By evaluating the current legal state, exploring potential future prospects, and making recommendations for modification, this book contributes to the ongoing debate and efforts to establish a robust and sustainable legal framework for space activities.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032300696