How Space Exploration Opens Up New Horizons for Global Security and Governance

How Space Exploration Opens Up New Horizons for Global Security and Governance
by Clarence Oxford
Cleveland OH (SPX) Apr 27, 2025

There's no questioning the fact that space has become an increasingly crucial aspect affecting international relations and the rule of law among nations. Apart from opening up new frontiers for exploration and discovery, this ever-widening scientific field will also lead to the development of new laws regulating how countries invest in research and development, focusing on turning outer space into a vital sector encompassing commerce and scientific innovation.

Considering how rapidly current technology is advancing, space exploration will go beyond understanding outer space and shape the future of global politics, economics, and cultures. Indeed, this will also lay down legal and political implications as global superpowers see outer space as a vital source for maintaining strategic advantages over each other. Conflicts become inevitable as a result, and these can only be mitigated with the establishment of a legal framework governing all aspects of space exploration and research.

Why Should There Be a Legal Framework for Space?

Ever since mankind made successful missions into outer space, there have been concerted efforts to regulate activities across this new frontier. As human activity increases beyond the Earth's atmosphere, there is a pronounced need to address its effects not just on outer space, but also on international and domestic laws. In particular, a legal framework is needed to prevent hostile competition among countries looking to exploit outer space activities that could also influence activities on Earth.

For instance, as the number of satellites orbiting the Earth increases over time, regulations are needed to prevent collisions and address the issue of orbital debris that could also affect internet connectivity on the ground. These laws may also play a vital role in regulating future outer space activities, such as mining asteroids for critical resources and going as far as establishing colonies on the Moon and Mars. The latter may take some time to be fulfilled, but the current state of technological progress suggests a guaranteed future for human expansion beyond Earth.

For now, regulating current activities is considered the top priority among space exploration experts, physicists, political think tanks, economists, and international law experts. Currently, more than 70 countries already have functioning space agencies, on top of private corporations such as SpaceX undertaking research and working on space-related projects with government support. Exciting as it might seem, the peak of mankind's interest in space will also lead to consequences that current treaties may fall short of addressing.

Tackling the Space Race through a Lawyer's Eyes

The increasing exploitation of outer space for political and economic ends has caught the attention of legal education institutions that are now keen on incorporating space law in their curricula. At Cleveland State University, for instance, there are now ABA-accredited JD programs focusing on space law, which has become a growing multidisciplinary field. CSU Professor Mark Sundhal describes it as an opportunity to review existing international treaties and set standards for how countries with space programs should behave.

As the Director of CSU's Global Space Law Center, Sundhal sees the emergence of more complex legal issues covering related areas such as environmental law and even copyright and patent regulations, especially as private spacefaring contractors are becoming increasingly involved. More critical is the need to look at the potential to weaponize outer space, leading to concerns of building orbital weapons that could herald a new form of warfare.

Law programs focusing on space law serve a critical role in preventing these scenarios by establishing an international code of conduct that nations must follow as they expand their presence beyond the stars.

Endnote

Mankind is living in interesting yet dangerous times. Space exploration has become so advanced that politicians and economists hardly catch up. However, there is a reason to be hopeful, as a new breed of law experts aims to bring stability before it is too late.