The Laws of Spaceflight A Guidebook for New Space Lawyers

The space industry is in a period of transition and we stand on the threshold of a new era in spaceflight. For the last half century, most space operations were conducted by government agencies. With the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011, private companies are preparing to assume many of the missions traditionally undertaken by governments and to open outer space to the general public. In the midst of this transition, the spaceflight industry faces many challenges. The term "space law" refers to the body of international and national laws and customs that govern human activities in outer space. To provide practical guidance and introduce lawyers to the laws that govern activities in outer space, this guidebook will provide a basic understanding of spaceflight, the space industry, and the legal issues that their clients confront.

This guidebook begins by placing space law in its larger context and then focuses on discrete legal topics. Chapter 1 describes the technical aspects of spaceflight that are most relevant to the legal issues discussed later in the book. Chapter 2 provides a high-level history of human space activities. Chapters 3 and 4 describe the development of international and U.S. space laws. The remaining chapters discuss specific issues that space lawyers are routinely faced with: licensing private spaceflight activities, liability and insurance for spacecraft operators, the regulation of telecommunication and remote sensing satellites, export controls on space technologies, contracting with the U.S. government, environmental protection, and property rights. For more information about this book, visit www.lawsofspaceflight.com.