• Title/Summary/Keyword: International space law

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Current Issues & Prospects of International Space Law

  • Zwaan, Tanja Masson
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.25 no.1
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    • pp.237-259
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    • 2010
  • This paper first gives a brief overview of the history of space law making in the international geopolitical context and recalls some of the main principles as elaborated in the framework of the United Nations. Next, several topics are discussed that will require the attention of space lawyers in the near future. They are the International Space Station, space debris, exploitation of space resources, space tourism, private property rights in space, and militarization and weaponization of space. The paper raises some questions in each of these areas that need to be addressed and concludes that the general legal framework for space activities under public international law as contained in the UN treaties is in place, and is sufficiently general and flexible to enable and encourage states to carry out space activities in an orderly manner. However, as demonstrated by the examples discussed in the paper, the time has come for the international community to agree on the further development of these general principles, starting perhaps with space debris, imminent 'new' uses of space such as space tourism, or some of the 'age old' issues such as the weaponisation of outer space that will continue to require our attention and vigilance. Whether such rules can be in the form of non binding guidelines, codes of conduct and the like, or should be embodied in solid legal instruments creating rights and obligations remains to be seen.

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Recent Developments in Space Law (우주법(宇宙法)의 최근동향(最近動向))

  • Choi, June-Sun
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.1
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    • pp.223-243
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    • 1989
  • The practical application of modern space science and technology have resulted in many actual and potential gains of mankind. These successes have conditioned and increased the need for a viable space law regime and the challenge of space has ultimately led to the formation of an international legal regime for space. Space law is no longer a primitive law. It is a modern law. Yet, in its stages of growth, it has not reached the condition of perfection. Therefore, under the existing state of thing, we could carefully say that the space law is one of the most newest fields of jurisprudence despite the fact that no one has so far defined it perfectly. However, if space law can be a true jurisprudential entity, it must be definable. In defining the space law, first of all, the grasp of it's nature iis inevitable. Although space law encompasses many tenets and facets of other legal discriplines, its principal nature is public international law, because space law affects and effects law relating intercourse among nations. Since early 1960s when mankind was first able to flight and stay in outer space, the necessity to control and administrate the space activities of human beings has growingly increased. The leading law-formulating agency to this purpose is the United Nation's ad hoc Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space("COPUOS"). COPUOS gave direction to public international space law by establishing the 1963 Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of the States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space("1963 Declaration"). The 1963 Declaration is very foundation of the five international multilateral treaties that were established successively after the 1963 Declaration. The five treaties are as follows: 1) The Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space including Moon and other Celestial Bodies, 1967. 2) The Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts, and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space, 1968. 3) The Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, 1972. 4) The Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space, 1974. 5) The Agreement Governing Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies: Moon Treaty, 1979. The other face of space law is it's commercial aspect. Space is no longer the sole domination of governments. Many private enterprise have already moved directly or indirectly into space activities in the parts such as telecommunications and space manufacturing. Since space law as the public international law has already advanced in accordance with the developments of space science and technology, there left only a few areas untouched in this field of law. Therefore the possibility of rapid growth of space law is expected in the parts of commerical space law, as it is, at this time, in a nascent state. The resources of the space environment are also commercially both valuable and important since the resources include the tangible natural resources to be found on the moon and other celestial bodies. Other space-based resources are solar energy, geostationary and geosynchronous orbital positions, radio frequencies, area possibly suited to human habitations, all areas and materials lending themselves to scientific research and inquiry. Remote sensing, space manufacturing and space transportation services are also another potential areas in which commercial. endeavors of Mankind can be carried out. In this regard, space insurance is also one of the most important devices allowing mankind to proceed with commercial space venture. Thus, knowlege of how space insurance came into existence and what it covers is necessary to understand the legal issues peculiar to space law. As a conclusion the writer emphasized the international cooperation of all nations in space activities of mankind, because space commerce, by its nature, will give rise many legal issues of international scope and concern. Important national and world-community interests would be served over time through the acceptance of new international agreements relating to remote sencing, direct television broadcasting, the use of nuclear power sources in space, the regularization of the activities of space transportation systems. standards respecting contamination and pollution, and a practical boundary between outer space and air space. If space activity regulation does not move beyond the national level, the peaceful exploration of space for all mankind will not be realized. For the efficient regulation on private and governmental space activities, the creation of an international space agency, similar to the International Civil Aviation Organization but modified to meet the needs of space technology, will be required. But prior to creation of an international organization, it will be necessary to establish, at national level, the Office of Air and Space Bureau, which will administrate liscence liscence application process, safety review and sale of launch equipment, and will carry out launch service.

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Political - Legal Reflections on the Two Epochal "Antique" Documents on "Peaceful Use" in the History of Japanese Space Policy

  • Tomitaro, Yoneda
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.23 no.1
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    • pp.169-188
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    • 2008
  • Analyzing on an object in the sphere of domestic law with the method of international law has been already on the horizon in international law. For the lawyers of international law and space law, it is quite natural that they utilize the method of international law, whatever objects they may choice. The reason is that the characteristic of international law do not depend upon object in itself, but depend upon method in itself. The object of this paper is the idea of Peaceful Use(IPU or PU) in Japanese Space Policy. The method to be applied to this analysis is the international law's interpretation theory on legal principles, i.e., the method of international law. One of the aims of this paper is to explain critically the need of review on IPU in Japanese Space Policy; in particular with respect to the positive reconstruction of IPU through historical analyzing on the transfiguration and the mere shell of the Post-War Japanese Pacifism(PJP) as the starting point of IPU. The historical process of the transfiguration and the mere shell is as followed, i.e., "from the ultra-nationalism in the pre-war Japan to PJP in the post-war Japan, from PJP to IPU, and from IPU to IPU's regression. In particular with respect to the interpretation theory, the meaning of the teleological, aims and objects school's approach on the interpretation of legal principles(P) has been emphasized. The reason is that the promising development of IPU will be realized by cooperating with the interpretation theory on P in international law. At the end of the beginning, I'd like to quote K. Marx's thesis in order to make the positions and missions the lawyers of international law and space clear. It is as follows, i.e., "THE PHILOSOPHERS HAVE ONLY INTERPRETED THE WORLD IN VARIOUS WAYS - THE POINT, HOWEVER IS TO CHANGE IT.

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Target Practising in a Global Commons: The Chinese ASAT Test and Outer Space Law

  • Dunk, Frans G. Von Der
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.22 no.1
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    • pp.55-74
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    • 2007
  • When the People's Republic of China destroyed one of its own defunct meteorological satellites, the Fengyun-1C, at an altitude of some 865 km above the earth's surface, the PRC was accused of initiating, or at the very least risking an(other) arms race in outer space also. The test also gave rise to a few legal questions as to the permissibility of this test, and the broader permissibility of using space for military and other weapon-touting activities, Whilst the test cannot be considered to constitute a direct threat to international peace and security so as to invoke relevant legal principles and consequences in terms of the UN Charter for example, it highlights the importance of such clauses in international space law as requiring international cooperation and consultation, due regard for the interests of all other countries both on earth and in outer space, and the further development of general regimes of registration and space debris-prevention. From that perspective, the PRC violated international outer space law not so much by the test itself but by the accompanying lack of information, consultation and due regard for other states', and indeed mankind's, interests.

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Target Practising in a Global Commons: The Chinese ASAT Test and Outer Space Law

  • Dunk, Frans G.Von Der
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • no.spc
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    • pp.181-199
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    • 2007
  • When the People's Republic of China destroyed one of its own defunct meteorological satellites, the Fengyun-1C, at an altitude of some 865 km above the earth's surface, the PRC was accused of initiating, or at the very least risking an(other) arms race in outer space also. The test also gave rise to a few legal questions as to the permissibility of this test, and the broader permissibility of using space for military and other weapon-touting activities, Whilst the test cannot be considered to constitute a direct threat to international peace and security so as to invoke relevant legal principles and consequences in terms of the UN Charter for example, it highlights the importance of such clauses in international space law as requiring international cooperation and consultation, due regard for the interests of all other countries both on earth and in outer space, and the further development of general regimes of registration and space debris-prevention. From that perspective, the PRC violated international outer space law not so much by the test itself but by the accompanying lack of information, consultation and due regard for other states', and indeed mankind's, interests.

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Political - Legal Reflections on the Two Epochal "Antique" Documents on" Peaceful Use" in the History of Japanese Space Policy

  • Tomitaro, Yoneda
    • 한국항공우주법학회:학술대회논문집
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    • 2008.05a
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    • pp.219-231
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    • 2008
  • " Analyzing on an object in the sphere of domestic law with the method of international law" has been already on the horizon in international law. For the lawyers of international law and space law, it is quite natural that they utilize the method of international law, whatever objects they may choice. The reason is that the characteristic of international law do not depend upon object in itself, but depend upon method in itself. The object of this paper is the idea of Peaceful Use(IPU or PU) in Japanese Space Policy. The method to be applied to this analysis is the international law's interpretation theory on legal principles, i.e., the method of international law. One of the aims of this paper is to explain critically the need of review on IPU in Japanese Space Policy; in particular with respect to the positive reconstruction of IPU through historical analyzing on the transfiguration and the mere shell of the Post-War Japanese Pacifism(PJP) as the starting point of IPU The historical process of the transfiguration and the mere shell is as followed .i.e.," from the ultranationalism in the pre-war Japan to PJP in the post-war Japan, from PJP to IPU, and from IPU to IPU's regression. In particular with respect to the interpretation theory, the meaning of the teleological, aims and objects school's approach on the interpretation of legal principles(P) has been emphasized. The reason is that the promising development of IPU will be realized by cooperating with the interpretation theory on P in international law. At the end of the beginning, I'd like to quote K. Marx's thesis in order to make the positions and missions the lawyers of international law and space clear. It is as follows, i.e.," THE PHILOSOPHERS HAVE ONLY INTERPRETED THE WORLD IN VARIOUS WAYS - THE POINT, HOWEVER IS TO CHANGE IT.

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Possibility of Establishing an International Court of Air and Space Law (국제항공우주재판소의 설립 가능성)

  • Kim, Doo-Hwan
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.24 no.2
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    • pp.139-161
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    • 2009
  • The idea of establishing an International Court of Air and Space Law (hereinafter referred to ICASL) is only my academic and practical opinion as first proposal in the global community. The establishment of the International Court of Air and Space Law can promote the speed and promote fairness of the trial in air and space law cases. The creation of an ICASL would lead to strengthening of the international cooperation deemed essential by the global community towards joint settlement in the transnational air and space cases, claims and would act as a catalyst for the efforts and solution on aircraft, satellite and space shuttle's accidents and cases and all manpower, information, trial and lawsuit to be centrally managed in an independent fashion to the benefit of global community. The aircraft, satellite and spacecraft's accidents attributes to the particular and different features between the road, railway and maritime's accidents. These aircraft, satellite and spacecraft's accidents have incurred many disputes between the victims and the air and space carriers in deciding on the limited or unlimited liability for compensation and the appraisal of damages caused by the aircraft's accidents, terror attack, satellite, space shuttle's accidents and space debris. This International Court of Air and Space Law could hear any claim growing out of both international air and space crash accidents and transnational accidents in which plaintiffs and defendants are from different nations. This alternative would eliminate the lack of uniformity of decisions under the air and space conventions, protocols and agreements. In addition, national courts would no longer have to apply their own choice of law analysis in choosing the applicable liability limits or un-limit for cases that do not fall under the air and space system. Thus, creation of an International Court of Air and Space Law would eliminate any disparity of damage awards among similarly situated passengers and shippers in nonmembers of air and space conventions, protocols, agreements and cases. Furthermore, I would like to explain the main items of the abovementioned Draft for the Convention or Statute of the International Court of Air and Space Law framed in comparison with the Statute of the International Court of Justice, the Statue of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the Statute of the International Criminal Court. First of all, in order to create the International Court of Air and Space Law, it is necessary for us to legislate a Draft for the Convention on the Establishment of the International Court of Air and Space Law. This Draft for the Convention must include the elected method of judges, term, duty and competence of judge, chambers, jurisdiction, hearing and judgment of the ICASL. The members of the Court shall be elected by the General Assembly and Council of the ICAO and by the General Assembly and Legal Committee of the UNCOPUOS from a list of persons nominated by the national groups in the six continent (the North American, South American, African, Oceania and Asian Continent) and two international organization such as ICAO and UNCOPUOS. The members of the Court shall be elected for nine years and may be re-elected as one time. However, I would like to propose a creation an International Court of Air and Space Law in extending jurisdiction to the International Court of Justice at the Hague to in order to decide the air and space convention‘s cases. My personal opinion is that if an International Court on Air and Space Law will be created in future, it will be settled quickly and reasonably the difficulty and complicated disputes, cases or lawsuit between the wrongdoer and victims and the injured person caused by aircraft, satellite, spacecraft's accidents or hijacker and terrorists etc. on account of deciding the standard of judgment by judges of that’s court. It is indeed a great necessary and desirable for us to make a new Draft for the Convention on a creation of the International Court of Air and Space Law to handle international air and space crash litigation. I shall propose to make a new brief Draft for the Convention on the Creation of an International Court of Air and Space Law in the near future.

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