Space debris safety and mitigation: Some international legal aspects

The presence of debris in Outer space should be considered a form of environ­mental degradation on a universal level. The term 'space debris' refers to the remnants of human activities in outer space: defunct satellites, spent rocket up­per stages, and parts of these objects. In fact, the pollution does not occur in the territory of any state, but in a sovereign-free area that is open to all states for uti­lization. The article considered some international legal aspects of the preven­tion of the formation and removal of space debris. The authors analyzed provi­sions of international acts, adopted at universal level (United Nations, Interna­tional Telecommunication Union, International Standards Organization) and re­gional level (European Space Agency). Special attention paid to the implemen­tation of space debris mitigation standards into national legislation of the differ­ent countries of the World. © 2020, Univelt Inc. All rights reserved.