OUTER SPACE TRAFFIC SAFETY STANDARDS

摘要

Management of traffic in outer space is arnmajor safety problem. Traffic is increasing.rnMost satellites are navigable but they havernto co-exist with space debris which is notrnnavigable. We need minimum safety rulesrnfor outer space traffic. We have the possiblernbeginnings of international safety standardsrnin the form of national space object tracking;rnGlobal Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)rnstandardization through ICAO and thernInternational Committee on GNSS (ICG);rnthe IADC space debris guidelines; and thernproposed Code of Conduct. However, safetyrncould be improved by standards for suchrnactivities as licensing launches of satellitesrninto outer space; standards for accidentrninvestigation and search and rescue:rnoperational safety zones around spacernobjects such as the International SpacernStation. This paper describes legal authorityrnfor minimum safety standards. It considersrnsafety standards established by privaternagreements among commercial operators.rnFinally it examines a number of options forrnan international forum to establish safetyrnstandards, including self-regulation,rnCOPUOS, ICAO, ITU, a space code ofrnconduct, and a new space organization.