THE LEGALITY OF SPACE WEAPONS IN INTERNATIONAL LAW

摘要

The current legal literature on space security raises the need for introducing legal solutions, indifferent ways and proposals, to the dangerous race of armaments in the field of outer space. Havingin mind the complexity of this topic and the very delicate issues it involves for the space powers, thispaper will be addressing the legal aspects of space weapons on the basis of the principles underlyingspace law and international humanitarian law. Useful tools may be found for this purpose. On the onehand, international humanitarian law refers to the principles of distinction and proportionality. On theother, important rules are now in force applicable to space activities. An analysis of the various 'spaceweapons' from the point of view of the above-mentioned principles will assist the author inestablishing whether the deployment and use thereof is unlawful under contemporary internationallaw.