Skimming the Surface: National Space Legislation
By Alexandra Dolce • February 26, 2020 •Writers in Residence
Last post was focused on international space law. This post will focus on national space law. National space law can be defined as national legislation governing space related activities.[1] National legislation is relevant vis a vis space law because of the increase of private actors in the exploration and travel to space. It is estimated that private actors will spend close to 1 trillion dollars, this year alone, in conducting space related activities. These private actors need to be regulated. The treaties mentioned in my previous post, cover only state activities in space, not the actions of private parties or…
A Brief Introduction to Space Law
By Alexandra Dolce • January 29, 2020 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
Space law governs space related activities. Space law is considered international law because like general international law it is comprised of treaties, conventions, general assembly resolutions as well as the rules and regulations of international organizations. There are five (5) United Nations treaties on outer space. They are; The Outer Space Treaty; The Rescue Agreement; The Liability Convention; The Registration Convention; and The Moon Agreement. The Outer Space Treaty governs activities of states in the exploration and use of outer space. The Rescue Agreement applies to the rescue of astronauts, return of astronauts and the return of objects launched into…