Military Activities and Operations in Space: An Unfolding Legal Universe

Military activity in space has been a constant ever since the dawn of the ‘space age’ with the launch of the first satellite into space Sputnik in 1957 by the Soviet Union, though it was initially restricted to a very few States with very advanced capabilities. Recently, however, the utility of space-based military assets and capabilities, in conjunction with the lowering of costs of entry to space, has led to greater military use of space and the recognition by many States that space itself has become a critical enabler. This has meant that space has progressively become a dedicated area of operations and that military doctrine concerning space use has developed accordingly. Such recognition and doctrinal focus has not generally been accompanied by a corresponding focus upon the law applicable to such military activities and operations.