Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
11.5 Towards a long-term sustainability of space activities
The Moon Agreement marked the ending of the 'law making' phase of the COPUOS and
opened a second phase, which deals with non-binding legal rules. It deals with a set of de-
clarations of principles on specific matters, such as the 1982 Principles Governing the Use
by States of Artificial Earth Satellites for International Direct Television Broadcasting; the
1986 Principles Relating to Remote Sensing of the Earth from Outer Space; the 1992 Prin-
ciples Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space; and the 1996 Declara-
tion on International Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for the Benefit
and in the Interest of All States, Taking into Particular Account the Needs of Developing
Countries.
The current phase can be identified as the third, because the COPUOS contribution to
spacelawisfocusedonremovingobstacles thathampertheimplementation ofspacetreaties
and the debate on many pressing issues. Most of these fall within the domain of the sustain-
ability of space activities, one of the major and most urgent issues at stake (United Nations
Doc. A/AC.105/C.1/2012/CPR.1). It implies an environmental approach to space activities,
which are sources of consistent pollution either on the Earth and/or within specific orbits.
As far as the current development of technology is concerned, space law has not had
to deal with the dangers connected with living resources - which to date, have not yet been
discovered - but rather with issues concerning space debris and, more specifically, their mit-
igation and removal. Space debris can be very dangerous to space navigation in the event of
collisions with other space objects, and a new approach to the issue requires not only new
technologies and concepts but also solution of a number of legal issues concerning, among
others, the definition of space debris, which is connected with the definition of space objects
for the purposes of removal; liability, jurisdiction, and control over space debris; national
space legislation for facilitating active debris removal; and, last but not least, the establish-
ment of mechanisms and procedures to settle disputes. This issue is one of the three pillars
for the sustainability of outer space activities, which includes the technical set of rules ad-
