Space technology export controls

Abstract

The exigencies of the Cold War era were among the driving forces behind innovation in the field of space technology. The Janus-faced nature of space technology, serving scientific interests on the one hand and strategic, defenserelated objectives on the other, led logically to the imposition of controls concerning the export of such technology.This contribution not only aims to provide a thorough overview of the relevant legal instruments and mechanisms, on the international, the regional, andthe national level, and to examine their respective effects on the space industry but also to shed a light on reasons underlying the developments.