Sapnis par kosmosa bagātībām – vai kosmosa resursu ieguve ir likumīga?

Abstract

The paper assesses whether the national legal framework of the United States, Luxembourg and the United Arab Emirates, which stipulates that space resources can be privately owned, and legalizes the acquisition of space resources for commercial purposes, complies with international space law. The article analyses the scope of space use delineated by the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies and 1979 Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, as well as the subsequent national practices after the entry into force of these agreements, national space law, national policies and public statements. The aim of the analysis is to determine whether international space law contains a prohibition of the extraction and commercial exploitation of space resources. The study evaluates national comprehensions of the space law content with regard to the freedom to use space. It yields a conclusion that there is no absolute ban on the commercial exploitation of space resources under international space law.