Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 232 p. : ill. (some col.), col. maps. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 193-195).

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Thesis (M.S.) University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: Frederick E. Nelson, Dept. of Geography. Includes bibliographical references.

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Navigation by satellite---GNSS---is a local technology with global repercussions. Although operation and control rest in government hands, the consequences of satellite use, most often beneficial, have a worldwide effect. Controversy arises when this free-of-direct-charge technology, on which the International Community relies, fails, thus causing damage to third parties. / It was the intention of the drafters and negotiators of the international space law regime to establish a victim-oriented liability framework, in order to guarantee adequate compensation for damage caused by space activities. Unfortunately, it seems that the present regime has only partially met these goals. / The surest means of obtaining compensation is through domestic legal regimes, but these regimes are naturally subject to the ebb and flow of government policy and judicial discretion. / The present thesis will analyse the established liability regimes for which a damaged GNSS final user may seek compensation, and will finally consider whether the drafting of a GNSS Convention is opportune.

The Global Satellite Navigation System (GNSS), the core of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management concept is capable of supporting future aviation needs. The implementation of this revolutionary technology however remains overshadowed by a series of complex institutional and legal issues. The extraterritorial control and ownership of existing GNSS systems coupled with the dual character of this technology poses a serious threat to the concept of national sovereignty as traditionally understood. This is further aggravated by the fact that there exists only one de facto GNSS signal provider, thus placed in a position to impose its own conditions without reference to the requirements of the rest of the world. / In an attempt to secure both European political independence and a fair share in the global GNSS market Europe has decided to play an active role by launching Galileo, an autonomous global constellation under the control of civil authorities scheduled to be operational by 2008. / The present thesis analyses the desirability of a suitable legal and institutional GNSS framework to achieve universal acceptance of the GNSS. However, in the context of the present status quo it is unrealistic to expect that the only GNSS signal provider surrender its nationally procured system under the umbrella of an international instrument. National security concerns and industrial policy goals underlie this tendency. The present situation may turn different when the incumbent GPS faces the competition of Galileo, an alternative civil system willing to offer firm legal guarantees of service performance albeit in exchange for a fee. The entire viability of this theory remains however dependent upon the European capability of defining a successful business case for Galileo.