Artificial space debris and international law

In just three decades of human exploration and utilization of outer space, an unwanted legacy of thousands of artificial space debris has been left behind.The purpose of this thesis is to analyse the appropriate technical aspects of the artificial space debris issue and to explore the legal ramifications of the question.The first chapter is devoted to the technical aspects and covers topics such as the origins and location of artificial space debris, the hazards they constitute, the anticipated damage that might be caused by such debris and the likelihood of its occurrence.In the second chapter, the legal aspects are explored by first looking at space law generally. A brief historical perspective of space law as well as the role of the United Nations in the making of space law is offered. Space law as it relates to the space debris issue is then analysed by first trying to define terms such as "space object", "component parts" and "space debris". Particular emphasis is then placed on issues like jurisdiction and control over space debris, international responsibility for space debris, their identification and, finally, liability for damage caused by space debris