The purpose of this research is to examine the outer space governance regime and to identify key governance deficits which are arguably the main reason for the far-reaching proliferation of space debris in the outer space commons. To this end, the research initially inspects two of the existing global commons – the maritime and polar regions – their governing regimes, and the regulatory, legal, and political challenges encountered in each. The discussion on the connection between global governance deficits and the environmental tragedies within these domains aims to establish the conceptual foundation of this study. Based on this foundation, the research discusses legislative and regulatory dimensions of outer space governance and international responses to the challenges facing the outer space commons. It concludes with the examination of the space debris problem and potential policy responses to address this global environmental tragedy. In this regard, in the light of Ostrom’s design principles, an international treaty on space environment protection, a financial programme in managing the cost of debris removal programmes and maintenance of spatial resources, and an international space agency to coordinate these fields and provide substantial cooperation between space actors, are offered as fundamental steps to prevent the tragedy in outer space – the common heritage of mankind. Therefore, this research intends to contribute to the understanding of the space debris problem and its consequences for global welfare.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uct/oai:localhost:11427/29842 |
| Date | 25 February 2019 |
| Creators | Oz, Besir Suleyman |
| Contributors | Van der Spuy, Elrena, Powell, Cathleen |
| Publisher | University of Cape Town, Faculty of Law, Institute of Criminology |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Master Thesis, Masters, Mphil |
| Format | application/pdf |
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