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This paper presents a comprehensive examination of the current and emerging challenges in the governance of space activities, focusing on promoting safety and security. Key international treaties and esolutions, including those under the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS), are discussed, highlighting their evolution in response to changing geopolitical dynamics and the expansion of space activities across various sectors. The paper addresses several critical challenges: ensuring diverse global voices are heard in space governance, managing the dichotomy of space in terms of its strategic value and dual-use nature, achieving consensus among the rapidly growing number of space-faring nations, defining and delimiting space, adapting to the commercialization of space activities, and confronting the growing problem of space debris.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the legal mechanisms of managing the orbital interactions of spacecraft that are pivotal for the development of space (orbital) systems. Scientific-theoretical research methods: abstraction, idealization, construction of hypotheses and models, documentary analysis and synthesis, objective truth, cognitive-analytical, etc. Results: the origin and contemporary genesis of constituent elements of the legal mechanisms of the management of orbital interactions of spacecraft and the problems of adapting these mechanisms to the trends of the “new space,” are analyzed. The scientific aim is to contribute to the development of an adequate and integrated legal regime of the management of space systems and to improve the effectiveness of its institutional framework. Discussion: the evolution of the legal framework of international orbital interactions is analyzed on the background of the contemporary international space activities. The management of space systems needs comprehensive legal regulation and its harmonization with the respective regime of the leading space-faring nations. The inconsistency of international law with the practice of on-orbit interactions of spacecraft under the jurisdiction of different states, creates a risk of international conflict. The article formulates recommendations for improving the legal regime of orbital interactions arising from servicing spacecraft and de-orbiting them, in particular the licensing of such activities, their supervision, and the formation of institutional mechanisms for space systems management.

This article studies the issues of international space law and analyses the reasons for its occurrence. At the moment, space law actively develops, and space exploration has become increasingly popular and demanded. Nevertheless, this field’s legal regulations were drawn up in the mid-20th century and are now partly obsolete. Moreover, the set of space-related legal relations in regard to the exploration and use of outer space and celestial bodies undergoes significant changes. Therefore, it is of sufficient importance to seek new possible areas and improve existing means of resolving current legal issues to ensure the progress of international and national space law. Every year problems related to unregulated actions of private companies in the sector increasingly occur. This topic requires analysis to provide ways to address those gaps in international space law.

The article analyzes the state of legal regulation of the process of organization and implementation of space tourism, defines the features of its application and its place in modern international space law. The legal norms in the field of space travel and the legal bases of their organization were analyzed. An attempt to analyze the legal status of persons taking part in space missions was made. The issue of the international legal personality of the participants of the space tourist service contract was investigated. Particular attention was paid to the legal status of space tourists. The content of the definition of “cosmonauts as messengers of humanity into space” was analyzed. The issues of the risks inherent in space tourism activities and the international legal liability of the parties to the space tourist services contract were considered. It has been stated that a space traveler has a certain amount of rights and obligations throughout the period, from the beginning of preparation to the journey and ending with the period after returning to Earth. An indicative list of space tourists’ rights has been restated, and examples of their obligations and limitations in time and space have been provided. It was noted that the legal status of persons who have the status of space tourists, does not coincide with the status of professional astronauts, despite the fact that the first and second performing space travel. It is proved that the concept of “space tourist” is an integral part of the concept of “participant of space flight”. The study found that space tourists have the opportunity to undertake space travel on the basis of a contract for space tourist services and solely on a commercial basis. It was stated that the activities to be conducted while the tourist is in space should be well planned and approved by a particular state body — the national space agency of the launching country. A specific condition for the participation of a space tourist in space flight is the process of its preparation and the passage of special selection, which includes checking personal, biographical, medical information about the person, physical and mental health status, command of the language of communication and so on.

The article reveals the issues of space exploration by private entities who have intensified their efforts in space activities. The US and Luxembourg legal regulations, which both govern the private sector involvement in State space activities and allow citizens to freely engage in the development of planets and asteroids, to own and dispose of resources, including water and minerals, are under analysis. Therefore, due to the occurrence of legal collisions, the International Law Association and the Space Law Committee, established on its basis, should influence regulating space issues. These institutions are known for their open policies and extensive external relations. Their key mission is to study, clarify and develop international public and private law and prepare comparative law research. The author concludes that being an important human resource, space objects and natural resources should belong to all humanity, not to individual States or private enterprises. The adoption of the US and Luxembourg legislation on legalizing, extracting, using and appropriating space resources by private enterprises seems to be in full compliance with international obligations, however, in fact they violate the principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, which are not subject to national appropriation, neither by proclaiming sovereignty, nor by uses or occupation, nor by any other means

The newest doctrine of space law of Ukraine is formulated in the article. The authors reveal that it consists of public and private international space law applicable in Ukraine and domestic space laws, which are classified into public and private. It is emphasized that making amendments and additions to the relevant national Law “On Space Activities”, which has allowed private entities to be engaged in these activities, offers great opportunities to the Ukrainian space industry. However, the transformation into a powerful spacefaring nation still requires Ukraine to overcome bureaucratic and corruption factors in a legal and organizational manner.

In this article, the theoretical and practical legal aspects of deregulation of national space activities are analyzed. It is established that the norms of international space law do not provide for a specific authorization mechanism for space activities in outer space. It is proved that its implementation should be carried out by States at the level of national space legislation. The main stages of development of the legislation of Ukraine on licensing of space activity are shown. The purpose of this paper is to justify the cancellation of licensing of space activities in Ukraine, as well as non-compliance with the basic principles of expediency and adequacy of the state regulatory policy of legislative initiatives on the resumption of the licensing procedure for space activities.

The article is devoted to the study of the concept of «space objects» and their legal nature. The situation arising in international space law in connection with the adoption by the United States and Luxembourg of legislative acts aimed at the legalization, extraction, use and appropriation of space resources by private companies is analyzed. The legal acts, basic scientific opinions and legal positions of lawyers concerning the activity of different states in the space industry, the activities of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its Legal Subcommittee have been analyzed. It is concluded that today the basic acts of international space law are lagging behind the development of scientific and technological progress, and the relevant UN structures are not able to solve all the pressing problems of space activity. It is proposed to adopt a number of agreed normative legal acts of international space law and to create a new organization on issues of space activities.