Untitled

Abstract

Developed countries are now more interested in using and mining outer space for commercial purposes, and have therefore enacted legislation to regulate their activities in this regard. The factor that has prompted the major powers is the presence of valuable natural resources; thus, they are working to mine those resources and bring them to the Earth. Although it is stated in international space agreements that "government or private entities cannot possess outer space (such as the moon and other celestial bodies)", these resources are not mentioned. Additionally, outer space must be used for the benefit of all mankind. In recent years, developed countries and private entities have been seeking investment in outer space, but they may face significant obstacles in terms of the absence of legal protection for property rights and sovereignty problems in outer space. The article is an analytical study that describes international treaties and national laws regarding the lawfulness of space mining for commercial purposes. The study analyses the extent to which these national laws that allow the commercial use of outer space are compatible with international space agreements currently available as well as the legal impact of the lack of sovereignty on property rights in outer space. The study's main findings are the necessity to amend the international space agreements so that they are harmonious with technological developments and mankind's ambitions, to exert efforts to remove ambiguities in the existing international agreements regarding the commercial exploitation of outer space, as well as to invite countries around the world to draft the texts of new international outer space agreements or to review existing outer space treaties in a way that gives an opportunity to the countries of the world to access outer space without discrimination and increases cooperation between them in this regard.