国际外空法体系下空间站商业化及其立法启示

The Commercialization of Space Station under International Space Law and Its Legislative Implications

空间站潜在的商业化活动涉及到一系列现有国际外空法体系下的问题。《外空条约》确立的人类共同利益原则和外空合作原则与载人空间站的商业化密切相关,这两项外空法原则能否充分贯彻执行决定着空间站商业化的长期可持续性。以《外空条约》为基础的国际外空法体系存在诸多有待解决的传统法律问题,包括空间划界、外空游客的法律地位、责任分担、登记时效与内容等。为促进中国空间站的长期可持续运营以及载人航天事业的进一步稳健发展,我国航天立法有必要在一系列外空活动基本原则的框架内,务实对待外空法体系存在的法律问题。

The potential commercial activities of the space station involve a series of legal issues under the current international space law. The principle of common interests of humankind and the principle of space cooperation established by the Outer Space Treaty(OST) are mutually reinforcing with the commercialization of space stations. Whether these two principles of space law can be fully implemented determines the long-term commercialization of the space station. There are some unsolved traditional legal problems in the international space law based on the OST, including the delimitation of outer space and air space, the legal status of space tourists, the distribution of responsibilities and the timeframe and content of registration, etc. In order to promote the longterm sustainable operation of China’s Space Station and the further development of China’s manned space industry, it is necessary for China’s national space legislation to overcome the legal obstacles in the space law system on the premise of respecting a series of basic legal principles of space activities.