Outer Space: Introduction: Space Debris and Near-Earth Objects (NEOs)

MAUREEN WILLIAMS

YEARBOOK OF INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW (YbIEL)

Oxford University Press

Lugar: oxford; Año: 2001; p. 354 - 360

Outer Space (1) Introduction: Space Debris and Near- Earth Objects (NEOs) As pointed out in our latest contribution (19 YbIEL 327 (2008)), the Legal Subcommittee (LSC) of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) had included on its agenda, as a single item for discussion, the legal aspects of space debris. As may be remembered, this is the result of a long battle on many fronts, to which the present writer had referred to in previous contributions to the Yearbook, which included as scenarios the United Nations and private institutions as well. Thus, the following paragraphs will be connected to developments registered during 2009 while waiting to evaluate what the year 2010 brings on the topic in different fora, such as the LSC, the seventy- fourth International Law Association (ILA) conference, and the report of the ILA’s Space Law Committee. Once again, may I stress that the subject is of a strong interdisciplinary nature, which means international lawyers are working hand in hand with the experts on space sciences. 2009 and 2010 are years of expectation to view, in a realistic dimension, Nations and private institutions as well. Thus, the following paragraphs will be connected to developments registered during 2009 while waiting to evaluate what the year 2010 brings on the topic in different fora, such as the LSC, the seventy- fourth International Law Association (ILA) conference, and the report of the ILA’s Space Law Committee. Once again, may I stress that the subject is of a strong interdisciplinary nature, which means international lawyers are working hand in hand with the experts on space sciences. 2009 and 2010 are years of expectation to view, in a realistic dimension, Nations and private institutions as well. Thus, the following paragraphs will be connected to developments registered during 2009 while waiting to evaluate what the year 2010 brings on the topic in different fora, such as the LSC, the seventy- fourth International Law Association (ILA) conference, and the report of the ILA’s Space Law Committee. Once again, may I stress that the subject is of a strong interdisciplinary nature, which means international lawyers are working hand in hand with the experts on space sciences. 2009 and 2010 are years of expectation to view, in a realistic dimension, Yearbook, which included as scenarios the United Nations and private institutions as well. Thus, the following paragraphs will be connected to developments registered during 2009 while waiting to evaluate what the year 2010 brings on the topic in different fora, such as the LSC, the seventy- fourth International Law Association (ILA) conference, and the report of the ILA’s Space Law Committee. Once again, may I stress that the subject is of a strong interdisciplinary nature, which means international lawyers are working hand in hand with the experts on space sciences. 2009 and 2010 are years of expectation to view, in a realistic dimension,