Asian Leadership in Outer Space in the 21st Century: From Science and Technology to Space Law

Abstract

The Asian states, including China, Japan and India, have made big strides with regards to space activities in the start of the 21st century. With other regions experiencing a stable development period or facing some difficulty in carrying out space activities, the Asian region has caught the attention of the international community with their recent achievements in the space field. Asia stands out as one of the most vigorous and promising regions for space activities. From a technological standpoint, Asian leadership in outer space is no longer a mere illusion. However, aside from technological development, we should also emphasize the importance of promoting space law awareness in the region. National space legislation should be a priority for not only Asian states but also, at the same time, space law an area of priority for regional cooperation. A sustainable framework for space law cooperation is what shall contribute to the realization of true Asian leadership in the 21st century in the space field.