As the “final frontier”, space has been a domain of rapidly evolving human activities
in the early 21st century. The orbital space around the Earth has become an essential
component of the global economy by enabling navigation, communication, defence and
security activities, along with several other types of services both on our home planet
and in outer space. The Moon could soon play a similarly crucial role. Complex geopolitical
factors, state ambitions and private investment are the main driving forces leading
us to a New Space Age. However, the international legal framework governing space
activities has not kept pace with these developments, resulting in unanswered questions,
diverging interpretations and even the risk of conflict. It is thus more important
than ever to discuss the legal and policy aspects of this new era of space activities.
The international team of authors of the present volume undertook to scrutinise and
assess some of the most pressing and topical issues of the New Space Age in twenty-three
chapters to contribute to the ongoing professional discourse on space and to promote
the peaceful use of outer space for the benefit of all mankind.
