#spacelaw — Public Fediverse posts

"For now, people are more likely to be struck by lightning than by falling space junk. But those odds are shifting. Sean O’Keefe, a former NASA administrator, ... and other experts say that governments and companies should be compelled to use materials that will fully disintegrate. No such regulation exists."

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/world/asia/space-debris-falling-crashing-earth-risk.html

#Space #SpaceDebris #SpacePolicy #SpaceLaw #SpaceSustainability

Today CSE filed our Reply Comment with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission challenging Reflect Orbital's application to commercialize the night sky. We maintain that the FCC must uphold legal mandates by requiring a comprehensive environmental review before granting any authority that alters our shared nighttime environment.

Read our full filing here: https://www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/actions/public-statements-and-comments/reflect-orbital-reply-comment-2026

#SpaceEnvironmentalism #DarkSkies #FCC #SpaceLaw #NEPA

"The fact that the #EU #Space Act establishes some binding measures regarding collision avoidance, information sharing, cybersecurity, and other space activities will break with past reluctance to go down that path and establish a new model. The United States and other stakeholders will find new challenges to their preference for laissez faire-driven space traffic management and space sustainability policies."

https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4961/1

#SpacePolicy #SpaceLaw #EuropeanUnion #SpaceSustainability

"This potential treasure hunt in space has sparked discussions about ownership laws, space ethics, and environmental implications. As these celestial bodies could herald an era where space becomes a frontier for industry and sustainable energy, they invoke questions about the regulation of extraterrestrial resource claims."

https://www.scimag.news/news-en/130047/asteroids-to-power-the-future-space-mining-revolution-begins/

#Space #SpaceMining #SpaceLaw #SpaceEthics #SpaceEnvironment #SpaceEnvironmentalism #SpaceSustainability

Meanwhile, although I never imagined I would agree with the government of #Iran about much, here we are. "Another critical consequence of the unchecked expansion of mega-constellations is light pollution."

The Islamic Republic's statement in the same COPUOS STSC session is on: https://www.unoosa.org/documents/pdf/copuos/stsc/2025/Statements/15_Iran.rev.pdf

#UnitedNations #COPUOS #SpacePolicy #SpaceLaw #SpaceDiplomacy #LightPollution #Space #Satellites #SpaceSustainability #SpaceEnvironment

Notable quote in this podcast interview: because the Outer Space Treaty forbids territorial or sovereignty claims in space, it also implies the unavailability of resources for exploitation.

https://www.resources.org/resources-radio/resources-radio-governing-the-satellites-that-orbit-earth-with-akhil-rao/

#Space #SpaceLaw #SpacePolicy #OuterSpaceTreaty #OST #sovereignty #resources #SpaceEnvironment #SpaceEnvironmentalism

"Experts say we need to recognize the pollution of the #moon and its orbits, and then #Mars will entail. We advocate for the need for binding rules to safeguard #Earth orbits, plus the orbits of moon and Mars from space debris contamination. The need today is towards effective action to keep outer #space orbital resources safe and sustainable, and for any #mining operations be governed by equitable and effective international #regulation." (via @physorg_com)

https://phys.org/news/2025-02-ocean-floor-oversights-space-debris.html

#Space #SpaceLaw #SpacePolicy #Sustainability #SpaceEnvironment #SpaceEnvironmentalism

"[T]here is no concept of 'international crime' for pollution in outer space. However, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has discussed harm to future generations, and this could include the degradation of the space environment."

"Wheeler highlighted an example in Belgium where the law could be about to change. Article 96 of the new Belgian Criminal Code includes the crime of 'ecocide.' This relates to 'the intentional destruction of the natural environment, and this includes outer space. This is a really interesting concept,' Wheeler said."

https://www.satellitetoday.com/sustainability/2025/02/03/satellite-industry-talks-sustainability-but-what-will-it-take-to-bring-real-change/

#Space #Satellites #SpaceDebris #SpaceLaw #SpacePolicy #ICJ #SpaceEnvironment #SpaceEnvironmentalism #Ecocide