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Business, Legal, And Policy Issues In Relation To Increased Private Space Activity, Mark J. Sundahl
Business, Legal, And Policy Issues In Relation To Increased Private Space Activity, Mark J. Sundahl
Law Faculty Articles and Essays
Throughout the history of human activity in outer space, the role of private companies has steadily grown, and, in some cases, companies have even replaced government agencies as the primary actors in space. As private space activity has grown and diversified, the laws and regulations that govern private actors have been forced to evolve in reaction to the new realities of the industry. On the international level, the treaties concluded in the 1960s and 1970s continue to be in force today. However, these treaties only govern state activity in space. The rules regulating private industry are necessarily domestic in nature, …
The Duty To Rescue Space Tourists And Return Private Spacecraft, Mark J. Sundahl
The Duty To Rescue Space Tourists And Return Private Spacecraft, Mark J. Sundahl
Law Faculty Articles and Essays
International space law has long imposed a duty to rescue astronauts and return errant spacecraft to the launching state. However, the existing space law treaties contain a number of gaps and interpretational problems that, among other things, call into question whether the duty to rescue and return applies to space tourists and spacecraft owned by private companies. These issues are of critical importance to the survival of the new space tourism industry, which is made up of a growing number of companies - such as Virgin Galactic, Rocketplane, and Blue Origin - that intend to launch their maiden flights in …