The Dilemma Between the Freedom to Use and the Proscription against Appropriating Outer Space and Celestial Bodies

Abstract

Abstract Although a large-scale extraction of resources from outer space does not seem feasible yet, associated legal debates are already underway. Indeed, anticipating a race for space resources, some States are taking the lead in enacting legislation regulating future exploitation by their subjects. Sales of “extraterrestrial real estate” by private entities have been taking place for decades. This article addresses the topic of exploitation of space resources from an international law perspective—regardless of whether it will be firmly on the agenda tomorrow or in thirty years’ time. The crucial issue is to establish if, and eventually how, it is possible to conciliate the two principles at stake here: freedom to use outer space and celestial bodies, which arguably includes exploitation, and the impermissibility of their appropriation. It will be pointed out that, rather than proposing a comprehensive and rigid mechanism, the Outer Space Treaty and the Moon Agreement could represent a starting point, a proactive framework for achieving consensus among States and for seeking multilateral solutions for the exploitation of space resources.