Jurisdiction questions and coordination failures in space law and policy

Robert Frieden

Chapter 10 in Research Handbook on Digital Regulatory Agencies, 2026, pp 154-172 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter explains how national governments have generated or tolerated the proliferation of space debris to potentially dangerous levels without penalty. The chapter provides case study analysis of instances where space debris was generated by space object collisions and tests of anti-satellite technology. It also explains how intergovernmental agreements, such as the five Space Treaties administered by the United Nations, and the space/spectrum management agreements of the International Telecommunication Union, have not required space debris mitigation, nor sanctioned operators responsible for generating more space debris. The failure to address and resolve proliferating space debris from anti-satellite (ASAT) technology and abandoned space objects will increase the potential for calamities that render space access too risky. The chapter identifies how intergovernmental agreements can mandate space debris mitigation, impose sanctions for non-compliance, and create financial incentives for recycling and removing existing debris.

Keywords: Space Debris; Space Commercialization; Governance of Outer Space; Anti-satellite Technology; Space Resource Management; Space Treaties (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035330881
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