Space governance is a layered system built on 1960s treaties, national licensing regimes, and international coordination bodies. Understanding who controls what — and where the gaps lie — is essential context for every space sustainability discussion.
Space governance is a layered system built on 1960s treaties, national licensing regimes, and international coordination bodies. Understanding who controls what — and where the gaps lie — is essential context for every space sustainability discussion.
Five UN treaties form the legal bedrock of all space activity. The most important is the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.
In the absence of binding international rules, national agencies are setting the pace — especially for commercial operators.
Despite progress, critical areas remain unregulated or ambiguous.
Final lesson: what individuals, organisations, and the space community can actually do about this.