Government Space Activities Research Articles

Introduction and Evaluation of Slovenian Space Activity, Policy, and Legislation Considering International Space Law

The examination of the development of space activities on a global scale, identifies several trends. One of them is the transition from dualism to multilateralism – from the Cold War, when only the two world superpowers of the time were active in space, to a situation where several countries are joining the now already large circle of spacefaring nations. Recently, Slovenia has followed the trend, and has in the last three years successfully launched three satellites, drawn out its space policy, and adopted its first space legislation. As it was one of the first countries in the region to do so, it can serve as a learning tool for other states wishing to embark on the same journey, enabling them to take a critical perspective and optimise their efforts. This study briefly presents Slovenian space activity, policy, and legislation. This study focuses on the legislative part, which presents and examines the compliance with international law. Based on this, certain improvements can be made and other states can decide how to draw their own national legislation governing space activities.

Mechanisms for Addressing Space Debris from the Perspective of International Law

This paper explores the various mechanisms available for addressing the issue of space debris through the lens of international law. As human activities in space continue to increase, so does the accumulation of space debris, posing significant risks to satellites, spacecraft, and overall space operations. International law plays a crucial role in governing space activities and managing the growing problem of space debris. This paper examines the legal frameworks and mechanisms established at the international level to mitigate, prevent, and manage space debris. It analyzes treaties, agreements, guidelines, and principles relevant to space debris mitigation and explores the roles of different actors, including space agencies, governments, and international organizations, in implementing these mechanisms. The paper also discusses challenges and gaps in current legal frameworks and suggests potential avenues for enhancing international cooperation and coordination in addressing the issue of space debris. Through this examination, the paper aims to contribute to the understanding of the intersection between international law and space debris management and to inform future policy and decision-making in this critical area.

Emerging Space Commerce and State Economic Development Strategies

Space is a location from which numerous private and government entities operate just as industries on earth do. When government policy changed in the late 1980s, commercial space industries began to spin off from the U.S. government space program and separately evolve. At the dawn of the 21st century, space commerce has stabilized into viable business operations. Motivated by profit, a distinct industrial location pattern and operation of space commerce are emerging from government space activities. Since 1989, states have implemented space commerce economic development strategies, and by 2004, more than a dozen states have funded such strategies. The Oklahoma strategy is presented to highlight current economic development strategies for space commerce.

An alternative strategy process for government space activities

This article is a revised and updated version of a paper presented at the 49th International Astronautical Congress, held in Melbourne, Australia from September 28 to October 2, 1998. It presents a methodical approach to the future planning of government space activities. Rather than generating detailed programme plans that are hard to implement in a dynamic environment, the method described herein is rather modelling the priorities of different project alternatives. This is less detailed as the plans that usually result from the classic space planning approach, yet is highly usable as a roadmap for implementation. This approach enables a dynamic planning with inherent learning cycles that can easily be adapted to the dynamic changes which are plaguing today’s space policies.

Japan's new long-term vision Creating a space age in the new century

The Japanese Government's Space Activities Commission (SAC) has released its latest Long-Term Vision of Japan's future in the exploration and use of outer space. The Vision will contribute to the formulation of government policy for space development. In this article, the philosophy of space development is defined as follows: ‘It enables space to be used as the common property of all mankind in order to contribute to the enduring prosperity of all those living on Earth.’ Within this philosophy, Japan's principal objectives are projected into the middle of the twenty-first century as being: construction of a global Earth observation system; promotion of advanced space science programmes; full implementation of space activities using the Japanese Experiment Module of the International Space Station; and development and operation of new space infrastructures.

Japan's space policy: Background and outlook

Japan has been active in the development of space science and technology, for peaceful purposes only, since 1955. This article describes the formation of the Space Activities Commission as the country's primary policy-making body, and of the National Space Development Agency, which oversees the development of space technology. The fundamental guidelines governing space activities are explained, and a detailed breakdown is given of projects agreed for the coming years.

宇宙活動の新しい展開

A national space program of the government generally provides a firm base for prediction of the future space activities well until the end of this century. For example, the latest issue of the Japanese space program prepared by the government Space Activities Commission has authorized development of satellites to be operational by 1993 and advanced studies on later projects. For the long range plan, the Commission organized a special panel which reported that the Japanese space activities should include manned space activities and the government space budget should be in-creased by five times more than the current one.The continuation of growth of world space activities can be indicated by the fact that the total number of artificial space objects and the annual human population in space are constantly increasing. Commercialization of space and manned space flight feature the current space activities in the world. The US and USSR emphasize space station for their main activities in space, and the European decid-ed to seek autonomous capability in the field of manned space flight.Finally, a personal view on the prospect of space activities through the end of the next century is briefly introduced in connection with evolution of technological capability in space.