Air and Space Law: A Study of Future Commercial Activities in Space

Abstract

The start of the space race between the two cold war rivals United states and the Soviet Union in the 20th Century added a new dimension to both law as well as science. The frontier of space research and discoveries intertwined the connection between law and science. However, just like science being an important aspect of human evolution so is the regulation of such activities through the hands of law, as one can use and abuse these aspects. One key notion of space exploration and how far we have come since we first landed on the moon brings forth the question of commercialization of space through private means such as space tourism as it is a big step towards fulfillment of human dreams to be independent from our home planet. There are several aspects which need to be brought in light in terms of legal issues that seek solution in relation to regulation of commercial activities in space. The legal issues pertain to the regulation of aerospace vehicles used by private or public entities for commercial purposes and also require a legal framework for entrepreneurs and private organization in order to promote and develop such a sector of commercial activity. It needs to be analyzed in order to see the effect of existing laws as well as provide a base for other interested entities to enter such a domain. There is another legal aspect which needs to be taken a closer look at and that is of liability aspect commercial activities in space. The current study analyzes the legal aspect of commercial space activities and the basis of liability issues involved in conducting these activities such as space tourism.