private-property-rights-in-space
The contested idea that private entities could hold land claims on celestial bodies without violating sovereignty prohibitions under international law.
1 chapter across 1 book
The Development of Outer Space: Sovereignty and Property Rights in International Space Law (2009)Thomas Gangale
The preface critically examines the stalled progress of human space exploration since the Apollo era and challenges claims that private property rights in space can exist without sovereignty, highlighting conflicts with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. It underscores the necessity of establishing a rule of law in outer space that protects universal rights and avoids repeating Earth's historical mistakes, while addressing the social, psychological, and legal challenges of living in space. The author uses science fiction to illustrate the importance of defining rights and freedoms in new contexts and calls for cooperative and ethical space law development.