Current issues of international space law

The international legal norms governing the space activities of states were intro­duced in the 21st century in the form of an already established system of norms of international space law, aimed at responding in general to the challenges of the new century. The specificity of international space law is that it is intended to prejudge the behavior of individual states in the field of space activities for many decades and even centuries ahead. Accordingly, the established interna­tional legal regime of use of outer space is recognized by all states and the inter­national community as a rule of conduct for centuries. However, many issues are acutely on the agenda of the international community today: the fight against the militarization of outer space, the creation of an international space organization, use of nuclear power sources in outer space, space debris mitigation and remedi­ation measures, non-legally binding United Nations instruments on outer space, legal aspects of space traffic management, application of international law to small-satellite activities, legal models for activities in the exploration, exploita­tion and utilization of space resources. Responses to these modern challenges should be provided by our generation. In this respect doctrinal developments of international law scholars are in high demand today in the field of international space law. © 2020, Univelt Inc. All rights reserved.