Challenges Related to Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities and Their Solutions

Abstract

Since long-term sustainability of outer space activities is an extension concept of sustainable development in the field of outer space law,there are not only some connections but also a few differences between them. According to the juridical status of the principle of sustainable development,the principle of long-term sustainability of outer space activities should be an important principle in the law of outer space,and contains the following aspects:inter-generation fair; within-generation fair; long-term sustainable use,integration between environment and activities in the outer space. In the case of the existing outer environment worsening,emphasizing and practicing principle of long-term sustainability of outer space activities has important practical significance. Now the challenges related to the long-term sustainability of outer space activities include the issues of space debris; the increasing decrease in geostationary orbit resources; space pollution. The international community is working on the guidelines of thelong-term sustainability of outer space activity guidelines which plays a key role in solving the above problems.More importantly,the principle of long-term sustainability of outer space activities should be put into the Outer Space Treaty or developed to be a generally accepted rule of customary international law so that it can play the role of legal norms.

外空活動長期可持續性是可持續發展概念在外空領域的延伸,所以它與可持續發展概念既有聯系也有區別。對比可持續發展原則,外空活動長期可持續性原則應是外空法的一項重要原則,其內涵包括代際公平、代內公平、長期可持續利用和外空環境與外空活動一體化等四個方面。在現有外層環境日益惡化的情形下,強調并踐行外空活動長期可持續性原則具有重要的現實意義。目前,外空活動長期可持續性所面臨的問題包括空間碎片問題、地球靜止軌道問題和空間環境污染問題。國際社會正在制定《外空活動長期可持續性準則》,這對解決上述問題發揮很大的作用,但更為重要的是把這一原則規定到《外空條約》中來,或有意推動使其成為一項公認的國際習慣法規則,使其發揮法律規范的作用。