Recent significant developments in the European space sector have had an impact on business and the growth of national and European commercial space law. This book analyses and assesses the legal issues and key factors influencing the space sector in Europe. It is an up-to-date guide to the regulatory background of space projects and examines the typical legal problems which need to be solved by practitioners in the field. Taking into account public and commercial international law and practice, this book examines substantive issues of law specific to launchers, satellite manufacturers and space service providers with contributions from leading experts and practitioners in the field of European space law and policy.

The increasing involvement of private enterprise in the conduct of space activities raises key issues with respect to international space law which has left it to national law to implement relevant rules vis-à-vis private enterprise. Almost unavoidably, such national implementation regimes differ largely across individual states. This is also true in Europe, where the issue is further compounded by the fundamental – but fundamentally different – roles of ESA and the European Union. Focusing on Europe, the present book thus represents the first comprehensive effort to discuss national authorisation schemes not country by country but theme by theme, so as to allow for a real comparison of the lack of harmonisation or even coordination, and the possible problems which may result.

The relevance and substance of space law as a branch of public international law continues to expand. The fourth edition of this long-time classic in the field of space law has been substantially rewritten to reflect new developments in space law and technology of the past ten years. This updated text includes new or expanded material on the proliferation of non-state and commercial entities as space actors, the appearance of innovations in space technology, the evolving international law of satellite telecommunications in a networked world, and the adoption of national laws and international soft law mechanisms that complement the international treaty regime. In this up-to-date overview of space law, the authors offer a clear analysis of the legal challenges that play a role in new and traditional areas of space activity, including the following: - the peaceful uses of outer space; - protection of the space environment; - the emergence of new legal mechanisms in space law; - the role of Europe in space; - telecommunications; - the commercial use of space resources; - human space flight; - small satellites; - remote sensing; and - global navigation satellite systems. Additionally, the five United Nations Treaties on space are included as Annexes for easy reference by students and professionals alike. In light of the many new developments in the field, this thoroughly updated Introduction to Space Law provides a clear overview of the legal aspects of a wide array of current and emerging space activities. Lawyers, policy-makers, diplomats, students, and professionals in the telecommunication and aerospace sectors, with or without a legal background, will find concise yet comprehensive guidance in this book that will help them understand and address legal issues in the ever-changing field of space activities. The authors are close former collaborators of the late pioneers of space law and authors of the earlier editions of this volume, Isabella Diederiks-Verschoor and Vladimír Kopal.

The legal regime of outer space, as enshrined in the Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space (General Assembly Resolution 1962 (XVIII), adopted in 1963, and in the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, while prohibiting the appropriation of space by any means, envisages exploration for the bene?t and in the interest of all countries on a basis of equality and in accordance with international law. Freedom of scienti?c investigation is also contemplated. Elaborating on these instruments, the Assembly in 1996 adopted the Declaration on International Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space (RES 51/122), in which it called for heightened international co-operation, with part- ular attention to be given to the bene?t for and the interests of developing countries and countries with nascent space programmes. Thus, it is self-evident that the outer space regime, including the 1972 Liability Convention, envisages the conduct of national activities “for the bene?t and in the interests of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or scienti?c dev- opment”. In this regard, Article 6 of the 1967 Treaty not only provides for national activities in outer space, but for international responsibility whether such activities are carried out by governmental agencies or non-governmental entities, and aims at ensuring that national activities are conducted in conformity with the Treaty.