No more fantasy: international legal aspects of solar energy in space

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Abstract

The deployment of solar space stations, the collection of solar energy directly in space and its transfer to Earth or the surface of other celestial bodies have once again become subjects of discussion in the 21st century. For several years, developments have been underway in many countries aimed at finding the best cost-effective solution, while some projects have already achieved the first results in transferring a small amount of solar energy in the form of microwaves from space to Earth. Solar energy collected in space is considered as a new type of “green” energy. However, for the effective use of this type of energy, it is necessary to understand not only the scientific and technical, but also the legal side of the issue, including international legal regulation, since this type of activity will be carried out in space. This article provides an overview of the international legal aspects of regulating solar space stations in accordance with the documents of International Space Law and documents of related branches of International Law and assesses the possible legal consequences that may arise during their operation. The article also presents the characteristics of some modern projects for collecting solar energy in space in order to understand the nature of the proposed activities, which, according to the author, in the near future will require detailed regulation at both national and international level.

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About the authors

Irina A. Chernykh

Patrice Lumumba Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia

Author for correspondence.
Email: chernykh-ia@rudn.ru

PhD in Law, Associate Professor of the Department of International Law

Russian Federation, 6 Miklukho-Maklaya str., 117198 Moscow

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