Legal regime sustainability in outer space: theory and practice
Sustainable access to outer space is increasingly threatened by growing orbital clouds of satellites and debris. A boom in competitively priced commercial rocket launches has lowered prices, prompting satellite operators to begin deploying thousands of satellites. Six decades ago, ‘hard law’ interna...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Global Sustainability |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059479819000218/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1811155669071429632 |
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| author | Larry F. Martinez |
| author_facet | Larry F. Martinez |
| author_sort | Larry F. Martinez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sustainable access to outer space is increasingly threatened by growing orbital clouds of satellites and debris. A boom in competitively priced commercial rocket launches has lowered prices, prompting satellite operators to begin deploying thousands of satellites. Six decades ago, ‘hard law’ international treaties established governance for outer space designed for the few governmental space programmes. Today, non-governmental commercial entities are operating under voluntary ‘soft law’ rules of the road that expose the deficiencies of the original treaties to empower regulatory supervision of the expanding commercial orbital presence. This paper suggests how a ‘sustainable’ system of governance, required for sustainable space access and exploration, may be promoted by increasing the costs of non-compliance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:38:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-37c5afc86c9c43e989d994936095075d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2059-4798 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:38:25Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Sustainability |
| spelling | doaj.art-37c5afc86c9c43e989d994936095075d2023-03-09T12:43:39ZengCambridge University PressGlobal Sustainability2059-47982019-01-01210.1017/sus.2019.21Legal regime sustainability in outer space: theory and practiceLarry F. Martinez0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3370-2052California State University, Long Beach, USASustainable access to outer space is increasingly threatened by growing orbital clouds of satellites and debris. A boom in competitively priced commercial rocket launches has lowered prices, prompting satellite operators to begin deploying thousands of satellites. Six decades ago, ‘hard law’ international treaties established governance for outer space designed for the few governmental space programmes. Today, non-governmental commercial entities are operating under voluntary ‘soft law’ rules of the road that expose the deficiencies of the original treaties to empower regulatory supervision of the expanding commercial orbital presence. This paper suggests how a ‘sustainable’ system of governance, required for sustainable space access and exploration, may be promoted by increasing the costs of non-compliance.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059479819000218/type/journal_articleUNCOPUOStreatiescustomary lawsustainabilityLTS Guidelines |
| spellingShingle | Larry F. Martinez Legal regime sustainability in outer space: theory and practice Global Sustainability UNCOPUOS treaties customary law sustainability LTS Guidelines |
| title | Legal regime sustainability in outer space: theory and practice |
| title_full | Legal regime sustainability in outer space: theory and practice |
| title_fullStr | Legal regime sustainability in outer space: theory and practice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Legal regime sustainability in outer space: theory and practice |
| title_short | Legal regime sustainability in outer space: theory and practice |
| title_sort | legal regime sustainability in outer space theory and practice |
| topic | UNCOPUOS treaties customary law sustainability LTS Guidelines |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059479819000218/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT larryfmartinez legalregimesustainabilityinouterspacetheoryandpractice |