On the Need to Regulate Space Traffic Magement

MAUREEN WILLIAMS

Proceedings of the Forty-Sixth Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Lugar: Washington, EE UU de América; Año: 2004; p. 12 - 26

A B S T R A C T ON THE NEED TO REGULATE SPACE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT Professor Dr. Maureen Williams * Conicet / University of Buenos Aires Chair of the ILA Space Law Committee maureenw@fibertel.com.armaureenw@fibertel.com.ar The paper deals with the interaction between international law and the specific principles of space law as applied to space traffic management. The objective is to determine whether the time has come to lay down special rules on this question having in mind the sharp increase in the last decade of commercial activities in outer space. This, in turn, implies an analysis of the existing rules of international law with emphasis on the Space Treaties in force and, particularly, the 1975 Registration Convention. The relationship between Space Traffic Management and the work of ICAO will similarly be a addressed within this context, as also the issue of space debris. The foregoing analysis, which forms paret of a Project conducted by the author under the auspices of the University of Buenos Aires / Conicet, presently underway and entitled International Law and Commercial Space Activities, will ease the way to establishing whether it appears advisable, in the present international scenario, to engage in drafting detailed rules and regulations on this matter which, by their very nature, are unlikely to be long-lived. Likewise, the need to include the subject of space traffic management on the agenda of COPUOS will be evaluated from various standpoints as well as the possible role of the ITU in this field. Should we conclude that the time is ripe for creating new law to govern this matter the paper will discuss -and possibly suggest- some general principles to serve as guidelines.