Addressing Space Tourism’s Environmental Effects: Marine Environment Regulations as a Basis for Regulating Orbital Space Debris

Authors

Elena Mak, Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of LawFollow

Abstract

With the success of private suborbital space flight, the space industry is now facing unprecedented growth as billionaires strive to accomplish the task of sending astrotourists into space. However, given the novelty of this objective, the current domestic and international legal regimes governing outer space and space travel are both confusing and outdated, and thus, they have not adequately accounted for space tourism activities. Given the projected growth of this industry, detrimental and dangerous environmental effects—such as an increase in orbital space debris—have become a pressing concern. These effects will not only affect the global climate on Earth but will likely pose additional obstacles to future space travel by cluttering the Earth’s stratosphere. Therefore, this comment proposes a new international regulatory framework based on the London Protocol and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea—two instances of international cooperation protecting the marine environment—in order to regulate the environmental effects stemming from space tourism activities.

Recommended Citation

Elena Mak, Addressing Space Tourism’s Environmental Effects: Marine Environment Regulations as a Basis for Regulating Orbital Space Debris, 89 J. Air L. & Com. 477 (2024)