The Development of Natural Resources in Outer Space
We are in the first phase of a second space age, building on exploration that led to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. The year 2020 witnessed 110 orbital launches. Renewed activity in outer space, and new sources of investment and technology, will magnify and accelerate the potential environmental effects of space activities. Those venturing into or investing in space will need to keep abreast of the current applicable legal framework, and also look for ways to improve the law to address concerns related to pollution, contamination, and debris. This Article summarizes the environmental law of outer space; it is adapted from Chapter 28 of Law of Environmental Protection (2021), published by ELI Press and available in pdf format for ELR subscribers at https://www.elr.info/tools/law-environmental-protection.