Browsing by Subject "National Space Legislation"

The recent shift in paradigm caused by the increasing democratisation and commercialisation of outer space, commonly referred to as ‘NewSpace’, has once again rekindled humankind’s interest in space and space exploration. The trend to global digitalisation is changing the traditional face of space activities and the space industry is now subject to a commercialisation wave. With technological advancements, private commercial entities have taken it up to the stars in order to turn a profit. New actors in NewSpace range from the pragmatics of the space industry, dealing with, for instance, satellite communications and connectivity, satellite components, satellite navigation, and launch services, all the way to the dreamers postponing immediate rewards, working towards concepts such as mining and utilising space resources, in-orbit servicing of satellites, space tourism, where space is conceived as an instrument for implementing new business models and ideas. While the traditional space industry dates back to the space race, States are no longer the only actors with spacefaring capabilities. The emergence of NewSpace, private non-governmental actors taking part in space activities, and new business models call for new technologies and implementation practices that create new legal and regulatory challenges that NewSpace companies and the traditional commercial space sector need to take into account in their business activities. To answer whether the current international and national legal framework is sufficient to accommodate the recent paradigm shift and new trends and the approach of the Nordic countries, this thesis will provide a cursory look on the issue and scrutinise the main legal and regulatory challenges faced by NewSpace companies, and, when appropriate, the impact on and the response of Nordic countries in tackling these challenges. First, it will provide the necessary historical background on the space industry as a whole, explaining the roots of NewSpace and how the industry has developed to its current state. Second, it will introduce the basic concepts of space law, the five international space treaties – which compose the international legal framework on space activities – and a more in-depth look on the basic requirements and conditions for authorisation in national space legislation. The national legal framework for space activities in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark will be examined comparatively and their impact of national legislation on the private space industry in the Nordic countries. Finally, this thesis analyses the main legal issues surrounding both the traditional space sector, such as contract practices in the space industry, aspects of space insurance, and export, and hallmark projects typical of NewSpace, such the exploitation of space resources from the Moon and other celestial bodies, and suborbital flights, and active debris removal.