The Multi-level Governance of Space Mining

Aerospace Law and Policy Series, Volume 24

About this book:

The Multi-level Governance of Space Mining is a unique book investigating the multi-level framework of space law provision by provision, foregrounding relevant implications for the governance of space mining. It furnishes an in-depth analysis of how the systemic nature of international law, existing provisions of international space law and a growing number of national legislations are shaping the multi-level governance of space mining, including an unprecedented assessment of possible adjudication and enforcement options. Space mining can potentially revolutionize the space sector, but the pros and cons of this revolution will depend on how it will be governed. Under the right framework, space resource activities can enable a new era of prosperous and sustainable space exploration. But the wrong rules (or lack thereof) could destabilize the peaceful and cooperative uses of space.

What’s in this book:

The author has addressed the following questions in the book:

• Which national and international provisions govern the conduct of space resource activities?
• Are these provisions sufficient, and can they be enforced?
• How can we evolve the existing framework to govern large-scale, long-term space resource activities?
• What practical lessons can be learned from comparable regulatory regimes governing the sea, telecommunications and Antarctica?

The author begins with the status of international law as a legal order and ends with the specific options available for enforcing norms applicable to space mining. The book concludes by evaluating the tenure of the current governance system and proposing three pragmatic correctives to stabilize it in the short, medium, and long term.

How this will help you:

This book will prove to be indispensable to professionals interested in or involved in space resource activities. It will provide them with a complete and clear picture of the status quo for regulating space mining and support navigating the complex dynamics of contemporary policymaking efforts. Investors and companies can use this book to learn which rules govern their activities and if they can be enforced. National and international policymakers can use it to identify the key regulatory challenges to be addressed for the rational, peaceful, safe and sustainable conduct of space mining.