international cooperation as the main focus of the modernized russian space industry

Paper number

IAC-17,E7,7-B3.8,2,x40348

Author

Dr. Olga Volynskaya, ROSCOSMOS, Russian Federation

Year

2017

Abstract

This year the world celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Space Age. International cooperation has been a crucial factor in the development of the world space community since the very first steps of space exploration and remains one of the most critical and challenging conditions for its success today and in future.

Owing to a long-standing tradition, international cooperation has always been at the core of the then Soviet and the modern Russian space policy and law. Indeed, the Preamble of the basic 1993 Law on Space Activities of Russia already states that this Law is aimed at "the establishment of the regulatory regime of space activities for the development of the economy, science, technology, strengthening of defence and security of the Russian Federation and further widening of international cooperation of the Russian Federation" (italics added. – O.V.). This particular importance of international relations is proved by the Constitution of the Russian Federation declaring in its Article 15 para. 4 that "the universally recognized rules and principles of international law, as well as international treaties of the Russian Federation, shall be a component part of its legal system. If an international treaty of the Russian Federation establishes rules which differ from those stipulated in the Russian domestic law, the principles of the international treaty shall apply".

This article presents an analysis of the modern Russian legislation and key political documents in the area of space activities with a focus on international cooperation. Special attention is given to the recent changes in the national political and regulatory regime – resulting from an ongoing fundamental reform of the Russian space industry – in response to the crucial international initiatives (safety and long-term sustainability of space activities, non-placement of weapons in outer space, space debris mitigation, etc.) and new global trends of space activities (prospects of extraterrestrial resource mining, space traffic management, global space governance and others).

Abstract document

IAC-17,E7,7-B3.8,2,x40348.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-17,E7,7-B3.8,2,x40348.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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