Environmental protection towards sustainable space activities (SLW 48)

Outer space is a is an international domain upon which humankind increasingly relies not merely for its economic development and technological progress, but for its long-term survival. However, the accessibility of outer space is challenged by the exponentially growing space debris population, rendering the usable near-Earth orbital resource scarce overtime. Unlike other environmental domains with a significant instrumental value for us humans, outer space cannot recover naturally from human-induced alterations. Its sustainable, long-term usability is thus put to a challenge. Chapter 1: Outlining the environmentally relevant risks in outer space Chapter 2: Environmental aspects in space law Chapter 3: Applicability of general environmental law to space activities Chapter 4: Sovereignty, freedoms and interests: the need for a new perception of the rights of States in outer space Chapter 5: Economic instruments towards incentivisation of space actors