Maintaining Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities: Creation of regulatory framework to guide Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization and selected legal issues

Abstract

This article provides a summary on the origins of the concept of the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities (LTSOSA) by reviewing previous discussions related to the definition of this concept with the conclusion that the LTSOSA is in fact derived from the concept of sustainable development, and comprises five legal elements, including the principles of intergenerational equity, sustainable use, intragenerational equity, integration and peaceful purposes. In this regard, the LTSOSA to some extent has been already reflected in international environmental law and international space law. This article therefore argues that to enhance the LTSOSA, the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO), which is a regional intergovernmental cooperative organization, has to embrace an LTSOSA regime because of its own interests, the need to fulfil its international obligations that have been imposed by international environmental law and international space law, and the need for regional efforts, which can complement both national and international efforts. Finally, it is concluded that APSCO should establish internal legal regulations that address issues related to the LTSOSA, at least those that take into consideration space debris mitigation, space weather, space traffic management, capacity building (especially the transfer of space-oriented environmentally sound technology) and radio frequency interference.