Law Commons^™

Stm In The Nature Of International Space Law, Yu Takeuchi

Space Traffic Management Conference

The discussion regarding STM has been accelerated due to the US policy decision of taking the lead of international discussion in Space Policy Directive 3 (SPD3). It is necessary to solve the following 3 issues to install STM in global sphere; the SSA data sharing; space debris mitigation management; and traffic management regulations.

This paper will be focusing on the 3^rd issue, traffic management regulations, and firstly describe the reason of inherent reluctance of States to control the outer space based on the fundamental principle of international space law. The States sovereignty is always the dominant in the territorial …

Monetizing Space Debris: Getting Tax Credits On Board, George Anthony Long

Space Traffic Management Conference

Human ingenuity and creativity is said to be one of the most powerful forces on Earth. Money is and historically has been a universal motivation for human ingenuity and creativity. Outer space is not an exception to this historical trend. It is common knowledge that private sector investment in outer space ventures is escalating and this investment is the engine generating the current resurgence in space ventures. The private investments in outer space are principally directed toward resource extraction, space tourism, and other activities which hold the promise of future financial returns on the investments. Noticeably, we do not hear …

New Standards For An Old Problem: The Role Of The Federal Communications Commission In Fulfilling Space Policy Directive-3, Michael S. Dodge

Space Traffic Management Conference

The recent Space Policy Directive-3, issued on June 18^th, 2018, commands several sectors of the federal executive apparatus to reassess their current and future efforts to address space traffic management and space situational awareness issues. The reasons for this Directive can be boiled down to the belief that the continued use of the orbital realm depends on responsible management, which in turn depends on myriad factors that include the development of new technologies, the refinement of data gathering, and the clarification of governmental operational roles. In particular, the Directive calls for enhanced standardization of safety and best practices, …

Nanosat Tracking And Identification Techniques And Technologies, Mark A. Skinner

Space Traffic Management Conference

Nanosats (and CubeSats, ‘Smallsats’, etc.) are of order 10 cm in size, and are at or near the limits of what can be tracked and characterized, using existing space surveillance assets. Additionally, given the CubeSat form-factor, they are often launched in large numbers (scores), and can be virtually identical. Thus are they difficult to track and to identify.

We have identified a number of technologies that future nanosat missions could employ that would enhance the trackability and/or identification of their satellites when on-orbit. Some of these technologies require active illumination of the satellite with electromagnetic energy, either in the radio …

Utm, Atm, Stm… Slices Of The Sky?, Ruth E. Stilwell

Space Traffic Management Conference

UTM, ATM, STM… slices of the sky?

This paper will examine the functional differences between Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management Systems, Air Traffic Management Systems, and Space Traffic Management. Understanding both the similarities between the systems and the different functional requirements of each concept is critical in the discussion and development of STM. While there are many commonalities in each area, it is important to understand how the different environments affect the ability to develop policies, procedure and technologies to manage the vehicles operating in the distinct environment. Both technical and legal frameworks will be discussed.

Building a conceptual framework for …

The Future Of International Spaceport Regulations: Which Response To Expect From The International Community?, Valentin Degrange

Space Traffic Management Conference

As humanity is today well into the 21^st century, we witness the appearance of new prospects for the utilization and exploitation of outer space, making outer space increasingly “contested, congested and competitive”¹. Many aspects of our daily lives have already come to depend on our occupation of Low Earth Orbits (LEO) and Geostationary Earth Orbits (GEO). As the number of space-related activities increases exponentially though, most notably in its commercial facet, so does the need for new spaceports and adequate regulations for the increased space traffic that will follow. The “big sky” theory which protected airborne travelers …

Space Traffic Management Concepts Leveraging Existing Frameworks, Stephen K. Hunter

Space Traffic Management Conference

Leveraging existing U.S. regulatory frameworks, as well as international organizations, will dramatically shorten the time needed to develop an effective Space Traffic Management concept. Both the Department of Defense and the Department of Transportation have been working with the U.S. Congress to define and develop a Space Traffic Management concept that will allow the Office of Commercial Space Launch to begin a new mission that will help to ensure the safety and resilience of the space domain. Outside observers can easily see forward progress toward this, still, undeveloped concept. This paper explores potential final U.S. Space Traffic Management concepts that …

The Reporting Requirements Of The U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act: Status, Analysis, And Legal Implications, Michael S. Dodge

Space Traffic Management Conference

In November of 2015, President Obama signed the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act (CSLCA) into law. The CSLCA addresses many subjects orbiting the field of space activities, although much of the attention respecting the law has focused on the role of government astronauts, the processes associated with licensing private remote sensing systems, or the authorization of space resource extraction; yet, a curious theme has found itself woven throughout the fabric of the law—the requirement to report to Congress the results of studies and inter-agency discussions impacting on various components of current or proposed activities. The legal and regulatory implications …

Spaceways: Airspace In Outer Space, Scott Haeffelin

Space Traffic Management Conference

Forecasted future demand in space travel is driving the need for the development of space traffic management. Currently, orbital space traffic is mostly unregulated with internationally agreed upon best practices and self-interest driving space operators to avoid collisions with other spacecraft. This paper explores the future of space travel by presenting a concept of creating “airspace in space” or spaceways to manage the ever growing volumes of space traffic. Spaceways are analogous to airspace for aircraft with the goal of increasing levels of safety and reducing probabilities of collision. These goals can be achieved by creating traffic rules, defining valuable …

A Novel Approach For Controlled Deorbiting And Reentry Of Small Spacecraft, Larry H. Fineberg, Justin Treptow, Timothy Bass, Scott Clark, Yusef Johnson, Bradley Poffenberger

Space Traffic Management Conference

No abstract provided.

The Divergent And Evolving Legal Pathways Of Future Space Traffic Management Collaboration, Michael S. Dodge

Space Traffic Management Conference

Collaboration in space traffic management efforts is critical to the successful continued use of the outer space environment, and exploration and utilization of space assets will depend upon structured legal guidance. While STM is notionally evolving at the international level, appropriate attention must also be given to national strategies. This paper will elucidate that extant space traffic management methodologies are developing along two disparate tracks. These pathways, which here are termed the international-collaborative and sectarian methods, are reflective of the needs of the international community and intrastate interests respectively. The paper will attempt to show that in the near-term, these …

Sub-Orbital Spaceflight – An Addition To Our Multi-Modal Transportation System, Scott Haeffelin

Space Traffic Management Conference

The number of commercial spaceflights will be increasing by orders of magnitude over the next several decades. The current volume of space traffic can be managed on a case-by-case basis and there is little impact to the National Airspace System (NAS). This will change as more spaceports become operational, commercial sub-orbital flight companies begin serving their customers and as the cost of these flights begin to decrease. Current regulatory paths seek to allow the flexibility in the regulations for this industry to flourish while also maintaining a high standard of safety. There are, however, many nearsighted and old fashioned assumptions …

Safe Operations Above Fl600, Lt. Col. Stephen Hunter

Space Traffic Management Conference

Safe Operations Above FL600

Abstract

With the increase in likelihood of near-term development of revenue-generating point-to-point suborbital flights and the increase in high-altitude-long-endurance commercial operations above FL600, the criticality of addressing operations above class A airspace has never been more pressing. While the Federal Aviation Administration describes the National Airspace System, it doesn’t offer a description that includes a top. Technological, physiological, physical and administrative limitations have relegated most air operations to FL600 and below. As that changes, previous work on Space Traffic Management (STM) concepts begin to take on new life and add to sincere considerations for adaptation or …

U.S. Private On-Orbit Space Situational Awareness Systems And Services: Legal And Regulatory Challenges, Michael Mineiro

Space Traffic Management Conference

One component of Space Traffic Management (STM) is on-orbit Space Situational Awareness (SSA) systems and services. Advances in technology and a growing demand for SSA services, information, and data, coupled with U.S. Government policy that promotes the purchase and use of commercial SSA capabilities, means that private commercial sector is likely to have an important role to play. To date, there is no federal agency with clear jurisdiction over on-orbit remote sensing operations. This paper examines the current regulatory framework, identifies gaps and limitations, and identifies possible ways forward.

Small Satellites And Liability Associated With Space Traffic Situational Awareness, George Anthony Long

Space Traffic Management Conference

At the commencement of the space age, satellites were very small objects that subsequently grew in size and complexity. A re-emergence of small satellites is occurring given that technology now allows them to perform certain operations of large satellites. This paper will explore the risk and liability in space traffic situational awareness associated with the proliferation in the deployment of small satellites.

Small satellites encompass a range of space objects referred to as nanosatellites, microsatellites, picosatellites, cube satellites, femtosatellites and other designations. These satellites are generally placed into orbit as part of a “piggyback” payload on other launches or cargo …

Toward The International Regime For Space Traffic Management -What To Fix The Current International Regulations-, Yu Takeuchi

Space Traffic Management Conference

Space Traffic Management (STM) is an effective concept for providing a solution to the current congested, contested, and competed situation of outer space. However the status of international legal system governing outer space remains at its original formation of the 1960s. Filling this gap is an inescapable task soon or late and it is necessary to establish the international regime for STM to do so. Various issues of the UN Space Treaties and relevant soft laws have been discussed in the context of STM item-by-item, but few are oriented to the establishment of a comprehensive international regime for STM.

This …

How To Reach An International Civil Aviation Organization Role In Space Traffic Management, Lt. Col. Stephen Hunter

Space Traffic Management Conference

The late President Emeritus of the ICAO Council, Assad Kotaite, recommended a new annex to the Chicago Convention to extend ICAO responsibilities for producing International Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) for suborbital and orbital civil space flights[i]. Additionally, the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense and the European Union have independently conceived standards that have yet to mature to an amicable stage. This impetus to develop SARPs is growing more urgent as space becomes more congested, contested and competitive. In order to best determine how to mature internationally acceptable SARPs for seamless operations from tropospheric to exo-atmospheric …