Description
Book SynopsisWinner of the 2022 International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) Social Sciences Book Award Impacts by asteroids or comets on Earth may lead to natural disasters of catastrophic dimensions, one of the most devastating having caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Space agencies and other actors are increasingly dedicated to the development of technology to predict and mitigate such risks. This book addresses legal and policy aspects of ‘planetary defence’ activities aiming at the mitigation of Near-Earth Objects (NEO) impact threats. These include responsibility and liability for damage caused by such activities (or their failure) as well as international cooperation and possible decision making processes.
Table of ContentsForeword Acknowledgements List of Figures and Tables List of Acronyms and Abbreviations List of Legal Documents Notes on Contributors Introduction Irmgard Marboe part 1: Planetary Defence and International Cooperative Efforts 1 Near-Earth Objects – Basic Terms and Characteristics Christian Koeberl and Cordula Steinkogler 2 What Is Planetary Defence? Rüdiger Jehn 3 Planetary Defence Technologies Alan Harris 4 International Cooperation in Planetary Defence – UNCOPUOS, IAWN and SMPAG Gerhard Drolshagen, Lindley N Johnson and Romana Kofler 5 Enhancing Public Awareness The Establishment of ‘Asteroid Day’ Frans von der Dunk 6 The United States Planetary Defence Programme NASA and the Planetary Defense Coordination Office Victoria P Andrews, Doris Daou, Lindley N Johnson 7 ESA’S Activities in Planetary Defence Detlef Koschny 8 Planetary Defence Activities beyond NASA and ESA Brent W Barbee part 2: Legal Analysis of Different Aspects of Planetary Defence 9 Overview of Current International Space Law in the Context of Planetary Defence Steven Freeland 10 The 2010 Report on Legal Aspects of NEO Threat Response and Related Institutional Issues Frans von der Dunk 11 The SMPAG Ad-hoc Working Group on Legal Issues Line Drube 12 International Law Rules Related to the Sharing of Information about Potential NEO Threats Irmgard Marboe 13 Rules of International Law Regarding an Obligation of States to Undertake Planetary Defence Activities Cordula Steinkogler 14 The Use of Force and Planetary Defence Setsuko Aoki 15 Legal Aspects of the Use of Nuclear Explosive Devices in Planetary Defence David A Koplow 16 Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Planetary Defence Competing Potential Disasters Jack M Beard 17 Understanding the Social Aspects of an Asteroid Impact Threat from Socio-Anthropological Lessons Learned in Natural Disaster Management Alissa Haddaji 18 The Current International Space Law Regime on Liability and Its Application to Planetary Defence Alexander Soucek 19 Critical Issues and Future Perspectives on Liability in the Context of Planetary Defence Henry Hertzfeld 20 The International Responsibility of States for Planetary Defence Activities Sergio Marchisio 21 The Involvement of Private Actors in Planetary Defence Missions Peter Stubbe 22 International Bodies and Procedures for Decision-Making Regarding Planetary Defence Actions Olavo de Oliveira Bittencourt Neto Conclusions and Considerations on the Way Forward Irmgard Marboe Index
