This introductory session will provide a foundation for understanding space law by first distinguishing it from air law. Students will explore how the different physical, technological, and legal realities of airspace and outer space have led to the development of separate regulatory frameworks. The session will then examine the historical emergence of space law, beginning with the early stages of the rocket race and the international reaction to the launch of Sputnik in 1957. It will analyze how the concerns raised by the prospect of space activities influenced the priorities of states in negotiating the fundamental principles of space law. Finally, attention will be given to the analogies drawn from other branches of international law—such as the law of the sea and Antarctic law—that were considered in shaping the early legal regime governing outer space.
This lecture provides an in-depth examination of the foundational principles enshrined in Articles I to V of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which collectively establish the normative basis of international space law. It explores the legal guarantees of free access to outer space, the prohibition of national appropriation, the obligation to conduct activities in accordance with international law, the demilitarization of celestial bodies, and the duty to render assistance to astronauts in distress. Particular attention will be paid to the conceptual underpinnings of these provisions, their operational significance in light of contemporary space activities, and their enduring influence on subsequent space law instruments and state practice.
This lecture continues the examination of the Outer Space Treaty by focusing on Articles VI to XV, which articulate the legal framework for responsibility and liability, the registration and supervision of space activities, and the mechanisms for dispute resolution and treaty compliance. Building on this foundation, the lecture will also introduce the four subsequent UN space treaties—the Rescue Agreement (1968), the Liability Convention (1972), the Registration Convention (1976), and the Moon Agreement (1979)—highlighting their interrelationship with the OST and their contribution to the development of a coherent body of international space law. Special emphasis will be placed on issues of international responsibility for both governmental and non-governmental space activities, the evolving legal status of private actors, and the challenges posed by contemporary space operations to the treaty-based regime.
This lecture explores the legal and policy challenges arising from the growing commercialisation of outer space, with a particular focus on space mining. It will examine the current legal landscape governing the extraction of space resources, including the Outer Space Treaty and subsequent soft-law instruments, and analyse the emerging role of national legislation (e.g., the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act, Luxembourg’s space resources law). The discussion will highlight the legal uncertainties surrounding ownership rights, environmental and sustainability concerns, and the lack of a comprehensive international regime. The lecture will also review recent initiatives aimed at developing a multilateral framework for space resource activities, such as the Artemis Accords.