Towards a Recognised System for Space Traffic Management. A Political-Legal Assessment of the European Contribution to Securing Sustainable Space Activities

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

1.1. A picture of outer space – the threat of a system's collapse

1.2. Research questions, purpose, and approach

1.3. Relevance and impact

1.4. State of the art and references

2. Space Traffic Management – an overview

2.1. Findings from the International Academy of Astronautics Cosmic Studies on Space Traffic Management

2.2. Contents of Space Traffic Management

2.2.1. Space Situational Awareness as an important element of Space Traffic Management

2.2.2. Sharing of information/data collection on Space Situational Awareness, notification system, and real-time collision avoidance

2.2.3. Traffic rules

2.2.4. Mechanism for implementation and control

2.2.5. Space Debris Mitigation

2.3. United States and the JSpOC already providing a de-facto form of Space Traffic Management

3. International, national, and European governance over space activities

3.1. The question of sovereignty

3.2. Space as a multilevel governance system

3.3. First governance triangle – EU, ESA and Member States

3.4. The EU-ESA relationship

3.4.1. Cooperation between EU and ESA

3.4.2. European Space Operations Centre

3.5. Second governance triangle – EU, ESA and UN

4. EU competences and objectives in the field of Space Traffic Management

4.1. EU objectives from international law

4.2. EU competences from EU law

4.2.1. Arts. 4 III, 189 TFEU (Space)

4.2.2. Arts. 4 II (g), 90 ff. TFEU (Transport)

4.3. EU and Space Traffic Management

5. European activities and capabilities in the field of Space Traffic Management

5.1. European Space Policy

5.2. Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities

5.3. European Code of Conduct for Space Debris Mitigation

5.4. Space Situational Awareness programme

5.5. Space Surveillance and Tracking Support Framework

5.6. European Union Satellite Centre

5.7. Clean Space Initiative

5.8. The national States

6. Europe's particular significance in the field of Space Traffic Management

7. Conclusion and Outlook

Research Objectives & Topics

This thesis provides a politico-legal assessment of the European contribution to securing sustainable space activities through the development of a Space Traffic Management (STM) system. It examines whether, how, and if Europe should contribute to STM, given its complex multilevel governance structure and current technical capabilities.

• Legal aspects of STM within international and EU law frameworks.
• Evaluation of European technical and institutional capabilities in STM.
• Governance dynamics between the EU, the European Space Agency (ESA), and member states.
• Analysis of specific European programs like SSA, SST, and relevant Codes of Conduct.

Excerpt from the book

Summary of Chapters

1. Introduction: Outlines the problem of increasing congestion in outer space and defines the research scope regarding Europe's potential role in STM.

2. Space Traffic Management – an overview: Defines STM as a set of technical and regulatory provisions and identifies its core elements like SSA and traffic rules.

3. International, national, and European governance over space activities: Analyzes the complex multilevel governance system in Europe and the roles of the EU, ESA, and UN.

4. EU competences and objectives in the field of Space Traffic Management: Examines the legal basis for EU involvement in STM based on the Lisbon Treaty and international law.

5. European activities and capabilities in the field of Space Traffic Management: Reviews existing European initiatives such as the SSA programme, SST framework, and various Codes of Conduct.

6. Europe's particular significance in the field of Space Traffic Management: Discusses Europe's strategic and technical adequacy to contribute to a comprehensive STM regime.

7. Conclusion and Outlook: Summarizes the findings and concludes that while Europe can contribute technically, actual traffic management remains a complex political and governance challenge.

Keywords

Space Traffic Management, STM, Outer Space, Space Debris, European Union, EU, European Space Agency, ESA, Space Situational Awareness, SSA, Space Governance, Sustainability, Space Law, Collision Avoidance, Space Strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core issue addressed in this thesis?

The thesis addresses the urgent need for a Space Traffic Management (STM) system to mitigate the risks of space debris and orbital congestion, and evaluates how Europe can contribute to such a system.

What are the primary themes of the work?

The main themes include technical and regulatory challenges of STM, the complexities of European multilevel governance, and the legal constraints and capabilities of the EU and ESA.

What is the primary research goal?

The goal is to determine if Europe has the legal and technical capacity to contribute to STM, and to discuss the modalities of such a contribution.

Which scientific methodology is applied?

The work utilizes a politico-legal assessment method, analyzing legal frameworks, treaties, European policies, and technical capabilities to synthesize an evaluation of Europe's role.

What is covered in the main part of the document?

The main body details the components of STM, the governance triangles of European space actors, the specific EU competences under the Treaty of Lisbon, and an analysis of current European space initiatives.

What are the essential keywords characterizing the work?

Key terms include Space Traffic Management (STM), Space Situational Awareness (SSA), space debris, European space governance, EU competence, and space sustainability.

How does the "multilevel governance" affect European STM efforts?

It creates a complex web of overlapping competences between the EU, ESA, and individual Member States, which can slow down decision-making and complicate the implementation of a uniform STM approach.

What is the current status of the EU-ESA relationship regarding STM?

The EU provides political and financial leadership, while the ESA serves as the technical partner of choice; however, there is a recognized need to improve institutional arrangements to better facilitate collaborative STM measures.

Why is the "air-space boundary" important for this study?

It is legally significant because the definition of this boundary influences the applicability of either air law (which the EU manages) or space law, impacting the legal basis for EU involvement in STM.

What is the author's conclusion regarding Europe's role?

The author concludes that while Europe is technically capable and should contribute to STM, actual space traffic management will likely be led by national states or the UN, with the EU playing a crucial supporting role through SSA and standardized best practices.