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The article presents information on the suborbital space flights with reference to national as well as international law. It discusses the legal implications regarding the commercial suborbital flights and also distinguishes between suborbital flights and space rockets. Information on the air and space law regimes signed by the five countries namely Australia, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden and the U.S. is also presented.

Launching spacecraft into orbit is one of the most challenging and critical aspects of spaceflight, and thus, is a key element of any national space strategy. Over the last several decades, the United States, seeing the high cost of space access as a primary impediment to greater government and commercial utilization of space, has made several attempts to lower the cost of space access, but without success. This analysis challenges whether cost should be the primary criterion for any national space launch strategy. A review of six different civil, commercial, and national security space launch customers shows that for the four major existing customer segments, cost is a lower priority than launch reliability, crew safety, and schedule assurance. Only for two emerging customer segments, Operationally Responsive Space and entrepreneurial space ventures, is cost a primary factor. Given this analysis, existing launch systems actually meet most customers' needs, creating equilibrium in the market. Several events, though, could disrupt that equilibrium in the near future, including the development of new reusable suborbital vehicles and a shift to commercial providers for crew transportation to low Earth orbit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The threats to space systems posed by hostile states and non-state actors are evolving. Vulnerabilities span the national security, civil, and commercial space communities. The weaknesses have been studied, and adversaries to the United States and its allies have noted the asymmetric advantages space capabilities provide. They see the tremendous leverage that can be obtained by disrupting them. These adversaries are becoming much more diverse, sophisticated, and technologically competent; they are equipped and able to disrupt access to space capabilities. Defending space systems demands new tools as deterring or eliminating these evolving threats will be difficult. Risk posed by an increasingly dangerous space environment must also be addressed. As it has done for decades, the United States enjoys a unique position in which it can shape the direction of global space activities. With this position comes great responsibility-to forge behaviors to mitigate space debris, deter armed conflict, and enhance the peace, security, and prosperity of spacefaring nations and the rest of the world. A space assurance strategy involving deterrence and defense, global engagement, situational awareness, and responsive infrastructure presents the best opportunity to collectively defend, protect, and secure the high frontier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]