There are major gaps in space law, which could have dire consequences for space exploration and the search for extraterrestrial life.
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Articles on Space Law
Displaying 1 - 20 of 45 articles
Sending human ashes and personal mementoes to the Moon is now possible, but it opens up a maze of legal and ethical conundrums.
A US-led coalition and China are both planning to establish bases on the Moon. How the two nations will navigate actions on the Moon and how other countries will be involved is still unclear.
An elaborate scheme to shade Earth with millions of tonnes of Moon dust floating in space is unlikely to get off the ground.
A comment by Bill Nelson, the NASA administrator, sparked a strong public response from the Chinese government. But due to legal and practical reasons, no country could take over the Moon anytime soon.
Current trends suggest that powerful nations are defining the rules of resource use in space and satellite access in ways that will make it hard for developing nations to ever catch up.
Listen to two space experts discuss how the Russian invasion of Ukraine threatens international collaboration in space on The Conversation Weekly podcast.
Activities in space today are far more numerous and complicated compared to 1967, before humans had landed on the moon or Elon Musk had been born. Two experts explain the need for better laws to keep space peaceful.
Russia’s testing of an anti-satellite weapon risked the life of astronauts on the International Space Station and could have astronomical impacts on Earth.
Sure, they’re billionaires, but the exploits of Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos have undeniably brought space tourism a step closer. That raises tricky legal, ethical and environmental questions.
Chances are small that space junk will destroy property or harm a person, and existing space law could deal with such an event. But current law doesn’t address the bigger problem of space pollution.
Earth orbit is filling up with satellites and space junk. Technological fixes can only go so far to deal with the problem.
As Australia’s efforts in space accelerate, we must avoid escalating a cycle of competition and conflict.
The space laws designed to protect planets and moons from contamination.
Who cares what happens to bootprints on the Moon? All humans should. And thankfully the US Congress and president agree.
A change of government in the USA means less risk of ‘space war’ and more hope for peaceful cooperation.
Some nations are concerned the Artemis Accords represent a US power grab.
US and international law conflicts about who would be in charge if a private company established a Moon base or colonized Mars.
Governments and corporations must get serious about the legal, technical, economic, social and ethical implications of a potential space-based resource economy.
Following announcements by France and the US, NATO is expected to start using space weapons.
Top contributors
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Emeritus Professor of International Law, Western Sydney University
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Professor (Digital Technology, Security and Governance), Flinders University
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Professor of Air and Space Law, University of Mississippi
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Reader (Associate Professor) in Law, University of Kent
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Researcher, Air and Space Law, McGill University
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Full Professor, Former Director, Institute of Air and Space Law, McGill University
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Professor of Law, University of Adelaide
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Assistant Professor of Space and International Relations, Johns Hopkins University
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Associate Science Editor & Co-Host of The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation
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PhD candidate, School of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Sydney
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Professor of Business Law and Ethics, Indiana University
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PhD candidate, law and military uses of outer space, University of Adelaide
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Visiting Fellow, Department of Government, London School of Economics and Political Science
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Space Plasma Physicist, Imperial College London
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Post Doctoral Research Fellow in Space Science, University of Birmingham
