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LEGALITY OF UNILATERAL EXPLOITATION OF SPACE RESOURCES UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 August 2017

Jinyuan Su
Jinyuan Su*
Affiliation:
Professor, School of Law, Xi'an Jiaotong University, jinyuan.su@hotmail.com
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Abstract

In recent years, there has been a surge of private investment in space resources and the enactment of domestic legislation aimed at protecting property rights over the resources to be extracted. This article argues that the unilateral exploitation of space resources is not prohibited by the principle of non-appropriation and is consistent with the freedom of use for common benefit and interests, with the caveat that it does not exclude others from exploitation or exacerbate inequality among States. It also argues that a laissez-faire approach would be detrimental to the orderly, sustainable and safe exploitation and use of space resources and calls for the establishment of an international regulatory regime consisting of rules concerning international coordination, benefits sharing and environmental protection.

Keywords

common benefits and interestsfreedom of usemineral resourcesnon-appropriationouter space
Type
Shorter Articles and Notes
Information
International & Comparative Law Quarterly , Volume 66 , Issue 4 , October 2017 , pp. 991 - 1008
Copyright
Copyright © British Institute of International and Comparative Law 2017 

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References

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4 U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act, H.R. 2262.

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37 Outer Space Treaty, art VI.

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67 ibid, para 23.

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79 UNCLOS, Part XI.

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122 Outer Space Treaty, art IX.

123 Draft Report of the 55th Session of the Legal Subcommittee of the COPUOS (n 21) para 25.

124 Luxembourg Ministry of the Economy (n 8).

125 Draft Report of the 55th Session of the Legal Subcommittee of the COPUOS (n 21) para 27.