Space sustainability: Current regulatory challenges

Abstract

Nowadays, outer space is becoming increasingly congested, contested and competitive. Humanity's growing dependence on outer space and experiences with the new space race have necessarily turned the attention of the international community to the safety, security and sustainability of space activities. This paper focuses on space sustainability and seeks to highlight some of its most important regulatory challenges. These challenges include the establishment of an appropriate space traffic management system, the mitigation of space debris, and the utilization of space resources. Following the overview of related problems, the paper examines the urgency and the modalities of appropriate legal regulation.