Open AccessSpace for Change: The ASAT Tests in Outer Space in Light of the UN Liability Convention
Author(s) -
Adam Strobeyko
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
polish review of international and european law
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2544-7432
pISSN - 2299-2170
DOI - 10.21697/priel.2019.8.1.04
Subject(s) - outer space , liability , space (punctuation) , convention , pace , space debris , space law , political science , field (mathematics) , law , satellite , order (exchange) , law and economics , engineering , computer science , business , sociology , physics , aerospace engineering , mathematics , spacecraft , finance , operating system , astronomy , commercialization , pure mathematics
As space exploration is gathering pace, special care must be attributed to preserving outer space as a shared environment that can be explored freely by humankind. Currently, there exists no comprehensive legal framework regulating the use of conventional weapons in outer space. This has been made evident by repeated tests of anti-satellite weapons (ASATs) which took place in the XXI century and produced massive amounts of debris, possibly interfering with the rights of other states to explore space freely. This article examines the rules provided by the UN Liability Convention and their application to ASAT tests in outer space. The author reviews academic suggestions in the field and concludes that a multilateral and comprehensive legal framework needs to be established in order to guarantee unrestrained exploration of space.
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