Space is increasingly critical to modern life on Earth. But there is growing concern that, as it becomes more economically and strategically important, tensions between different space actors are heightening in a manner that could lead to conflict. The accelerating proliferation of counterspace capabilities, as well as the enactment of national policies that deem space an operational or warfighting domain, underlines the very real nature of threats that exist and highlights the importance of keeping space peaceful.
To address these challenges, some experts in space security have called for more robust norms of behaviour in outer space. This report explores the role of norms as a tool for outer space governance, as well as their challenges and limitations.
Citation: Jessica West and Almudena Azcárate Ortega (2022) “Space Dossier 7 - Norms for Outer Space: A Small Step or a Giant Leap for Policymaking?”, UNIDIR, Geneva. https://doi.org/10.37559/WMD/22/Space/01