Throughout human history on Earth, various world powers have sought territorial expansion. We currently see territorial expansion efforts by Russia with respect to Ukraine and China’s desire to wrest ownership of Tawain. Though these attempts at territorial expansion on Earth are significant, the next seismic territorial expansion will occur off-Earth in outer space.
The U.S. aims to establish the initial elements of a permanent lunar base and a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030. Additionally, commercial actors in the space industry desire to build data centers in orbit. While others have their sights on settling in outer space and building floating orbital space settlements and/or land-based habitats off Earth.
But how will these pursuits be accomplished using existing legal frameworks? There are publications addressing off-Earth settlement by humans. But publications that look at space settlement and commercialization through the lens of how off-Earth territorial expansion may occur under existing law, legal frameworks and principles are scant. This article provides an overview of how governments and private actors may effectuate off-Earth territorial expansion under existing law, legal frameworks and principles. Click here to read the full article
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