This book is based on the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the Global Space Governance study commissioned by the 2014 Montreal Declaration that called upon civil society, academics, governments, the private sector, and other stakeholders to undertake an international interdisciplinary study. The study took three years to complete. It examines the drivers of space regulations and standards, key regulatory problems, and especially addresses possible improvements in global space governance. The world's leading experts led the drafting of chapters, with input from academics and knowledgeable professionals in the public and private sectors, intergovernmental organizations, and nongovernmental organizations from all the regions of the world with over 80 total participants. This book and areas identified for priority action are to be presented to the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and it is hoped will be considered directly or indirectly at the UNISPACE+50 event in Vienna, Austria, in 2018. The report, a collective work of all the contributors, includes objective analysis and frank statements expressed without pressure of political, national, and occupational concerns or interest. It is peer-reviewed and carefully edited to ensure its accuracy, preciseness, and readability. It is expected that the study and derivative recommendations will form the basis for deliberations and decisions at international conferences and meetings around the world on the theme of global space governance. This will hopefully include future discussion at the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

Since the launch of UoSat-1 of the University of Surrey (United Kingdom) in 1981, small satellites proved regularly to be useful, beneficial, and cost-effective tools. Typical tasks cover education and workforce development, technology demonstration, verification and validation, scientific and engineering research as well as commercial applications. Today the launch masses range over almost three orders of magnitude starting at less than a kilogram up to a few hundred kilograms, with budgets of less than US$ 100.00 and up to millions within very short timeframes of sometimes less than two years. Therefore each category of small satellites provides specific challenges in design, development and operations. Small satellites offer great potentials to gain responsive, low-cost access to space within a short timeframe for institutions, companies, regions and countries beyond the traditional big players in the space arena. For these reasons (particularly the low cost of construction, launch and operation), small (micro, cube or nano) satellites are being preferred by students and educational institutions, amateur radio operators, small and developing countries, international aid agencies and most recently by defense agencies and satellite operators who are examining deployment of constellation clusters instead of conventional application satellites. In some cases these new capabilities are being deployed as hosted payloads on larger satellites. The advent of hosted payloads as a significant part of the satellite industry represents a key new topic that this book will address. The number of small satellites-of various types--is increasing fast as their benefits are being realized. This short and unique interdisciplinary book, covering both technical and regulatory aspects, examines all the different types of applications and reasons for small as well as exploring technical and operational innovations that are being introduced. It also examines the new technical standards, removal techniques or other methods that might help to address current problems and the regulatory issues and procedures to ameliorate problems associated with small satellites, especially mounting levels of orbital debris and noncompliance with radio frequency and national licensing requirements, liabilities, export controls and so on.

The legal regime of outer space, as enshrined in the Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space (General Assembly Resolution 1962 (XVIII), adopted in 1963, and in the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, while prohibiting the appropriation of space by any means, envisages exploration for the bene't and in the interest of all countries on a basis of equality and in accordance with international law. Freedom of scienti?c investigation is also contemplated. Elaborating on these instruments, the Assembly in 1996 adopted the Declaration on International Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space (RES 51/122), in which it called for heightened international co-operation, with part- ular attention to be given to the bene't for and the interests of developing countries and countries with nascent space programmes. Thus, it is self-evident that the outer space regime, including the 1972 Liability Convention, envisages the conduct of national activities "for the bene't and in the interests of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or scienti?c dev- opment." In this regard, Article 6 of the 1967 Treaty not only provides for national activities in outer space, but for international responsibility whether such activities are carried out by governmental agencies or non-governmental entities, and aims at ensuring that national activities are conducted in conformity with the Treaty.

In the new space age after the end of the Cold War, orbit and frequency allocations, traffic control, safety, and a number of support services such as space weather forecast and orbital debris monitoring need to be coordinated transparently and effectively by clear rules at an international level. The establishment of an international civil space regulatory framework is the central theme of this book, in particular, the possible extension to space of the international regulatory framework model adopted for aviation more than 60 years ago with the establishment of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The book also highlights the increased reliance of aviation safety on space-based navigation and communication systems, the increasing space systems traffic through the international airspace under the jurisdiction of the ICAO, and the emerging hybrid systems such as aero-spacecraft and space planes, to advocate the practical benefits of directly expanding the ICAO Convention domain beyond the airspace to include outer space up to the geostationary orbits.

The legal regime of outer space, as enshrined in the Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space (General Assembly Resolution 1962 (XVIII), adopted in 1963, and in the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, while prohibiting the appropriation of space by any means, envisages exploration for the bene't and in the interest of all countries on a basis of equality and in accordance with international law. Freedom of scienti?c investigation is also contemplated. Elaborating on these instruments, the Assembly in 1996 adopted the Declaration on International Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space (RES 51/122), in which it called for heightened international co-operation, with part- ular attention to be given to the bene't for and the interests of developing countries and countries with nascent space programmes. Thus, it is self-evident that the outer space regime, including the 1972 Liability Convention, envisages the conduct of national activities "for the bene't and in the interests of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or scienti?c dev- opment." In this regard, Article 6 of the 1967 Treaty not only provides for national activities in outer space, but for international responsibility whether such activities are carried out by governmental agencies or non-governmental entities, and aims at ensuring that national activities are conducted in conformity with the Treaty.

This comprehensive volume covers all aspects of international space law, including the fundamental principles and the legal regimes governing space applications. Uniquely it deals extensively with the international law of space communications and the legal issues related to space safety both of which have been largely neglected in earlier manuscripts. Covering the most recent material International Space Law deals with both the theoretical and practical aspects (including case law) in the realm of applied international space law. This work will have broad appeal and be of interest to researchers and academics in the fields of space law and/or international law, space industry executives, specialist lawyers, foreign ministries as well as international organisations such as the United Nations.