Toward an equitable governance of space resources: A policy-oriented framework for sustainability and resilience

Öz

As human activities expand across Earth orbit, the Moon, and other celestial bodies, the governance of critical space resources has become a pressing issue, exposing persistent gaps in current international regulatory mechanisms. This paper advances a policy-oriented vision for equitable and resilient space governance, grounded in sustainability principles and ethical imperatives. Through the lens of key domains—ranging from spectrum allocation and orbital debris mitigation to planetary surface rights and data governance—it explores how the discourse on space resources reveals deeper challenges for multilateral coordination, institutional leadership and strategic foresight in a multipolar world. The study underscores the need for adaptive international frameworks that align with both technological advancements and shifting geopolitical conditions. It outlines a set of core principles for inclusive governance and advocates for strategic leadership and global partnerships to operationalize this vision. Drawing on the policy outlooks of key global and regional actors—including the European Union, the United Nations system, and leading space policy institutes—it calls for a globally engaged, integrative and forward-looking governance vision for outer space.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Space governance
• international space policy
• sustainability and resilience
• planetary stewardwship
• space resource regulation

Uzay kaynaklarının adil yönetişimine doğru: Sürdürülebilirlik ve dirençlilik odaklı bir politika çerçevesi

Öz

Dünya yörüngesi, Ay ve diğer gök cisimlerinde insan faaliyetlerinin artmasıyla birlikte, kritik uzay kaynaklarının yönetişimi acil bir mesele haline gelmiş; mevcut uluslararası düzenleyici mekanizmalardaki kalıcı boşlukları gözler önüne sermiştir. Bu makale, sürdürülebilirlik ilkeleri ve etik zorunluluklar temelinde şekillenen, adil ve dirençli bir uzay yönetişimi için politika odaklı bir vizyon sunmaktadır. Spektrum tahsisi ve yörünge enkazının azaltılmasından gezegen yüzey haklarına ve veri yönetişimine kadar uzanan temel alanlar çerçevesinde, uzay kaynakları etrafındaki söylemin çok kutuplu bir dünyada çok taraflı koordinasyon, kurumsal liderlik ve stratejik öngörüye dair daha derin zorlukları nasıl ortaya koyduğunu incelemektedir. Çalışma, hem teknolojik ilerlemelerle hem de değişen jeopolitik koşullarla uyumlu, uyarlanabilir uluslararası çerçevelerin gerekliliğini vurgulamaktadır. Kapsayıcı yönetişim için temel ilkeleri ortaya koymakta ve bu vizyonun hayata geçirilmesi adına stratejik liderlik ile küresel ortaklıkları savunmaktadır. Avrupa Birliği, Birleşmiş Milletler sistemi ve önde gelen uzay politika enstitüleri gibi küresel ve bölgesel aktörlerin politika yaklaşımlarından yararlanarak, dış uzay için küresel ölçekte etkin, bütüncül ve geleceğe dönük bir yönetişim vizyonu çağrısında bulunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• uluslararası uzay politikası
• Uzay yönetişimi
• sürdürülebilirlik ve dirençlilik
• gezegensel sorumluluk
• uzay kaynaklarının düzenlenmesi

Kaynakça

1. Aliberti, M., Capelli, O., & Praino, R. (2023). Power, state and space: Conceptualizing, Measuring and Comparing Space Actors. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32871-8
2. Boley, A. C., & Byers, M. (2021). Satellite mega-constellations create risks in low Earth orbit, the atmosphere and on Earth. Scientific Reports, 11, 10642. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-89909-7
3. Chrysaki, M. (2020). The sustainable commercialisation of space: The case for a voluntary code of conduct for the space industry. Space Policy, 52, 101375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2020.101375
4. COSPAR (2021). COSPAR planetary protection policy. Committee on Space Research. https://cosparhq.cnes.fr/assets/uploads/2021/07/PPPolicy_2021_3-June.pdf
5. European Commission (2025). Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the safety, resilience and sustainability of space activities in the Union (COM(2025) 335 final). https://commission.europa.eu/document/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683-f63ffb2cf648_en
6. European Commission & High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (2023). Joint communication to the European Parliament and the Council: European Union Space Strategy for Security and Defence (JOIN(2023) 9 final). https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-7371-2022-INIT/en/pdf
7. European Parliament and Council of the European Union (2024). Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 on harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act). Official Journal of the European Union, L 1689, 12–70. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32024R1689
8. European Space Agency (2022). Clean Space initiative. https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Clean_Space/Clean_Space2

9. European Space Agency (2023). Space Safety Programme. https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Safety_at_ESA
10. European Space Agency (2024). Space Safety Programme at ESA. https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/
11. European Space Policy Institute (2022). ESPI2040: Space for prosperity, peace and future generations. https://www.espi.or.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ESPI2040_03JAN_FINAL.pdf
12. Foing, B. H., Tavernier, A., Crotti, S., Pascual, J., Bustamante, I., Kolodziejczyk, A., ... & EuroMoonMars Campaigns Teams (2022). EuroMoonMars Earth Space Innovation Highlights. In: 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. LPI Contribution No. 2678, 2042. https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2022/pdf/2042.pdf
13. Government of Luxembourg (2017). Law of 20 July 2017 on the exploration and use of space resources. Journal officiel du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, A No. 674. https://legilux.public.lu/eli/etat/leg/loi/2017/07/20/a674/jo
14. Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (2021). IADC space debris mitigation guidelines. https://www.iadc-home.org
15. International Telecommunication Union (2020). ITU Radiocommunication regulations (ITU-R). https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R
16. Jakhu, R., Pelton, J. N., & Sgobba, T. (2017). Space safety and human performance. Springer.
17. Losch, A., Galli, A., & Schildknecht, T. (2024). History, concepts and challenges of proposing an 18th UN Sustainable Development Goal related to space. Space Policy, 68, 101631. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2024.101631
18. Moon Village Association (2020). Moon Village Principles – Implementation Guidelines. Retrieved from https://moonvillageassociation.org
19. NASA (2020). The Artemis Accords: Principles for a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space. https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords/
20. NASA (2021). Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. https://www.nasa.gov/oiir-human-exploration-and-operations-division-heod/
21. OECD (2019). The Space Economy in Figures: How Space Contributes to the Global Economy, OECD Publishing, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1787/c5996201-en
22. OECD (2020). Space Sustainability: The Economics of Space Debris in Perspective. OECD Scıence, Technology and Industry Policy Papers, 87. https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2020/04/space-sustainability_a2d8e17f/a339de43-en.pdf
23. Reif, S. U. (2002). Shaping a legal framework for the commercial use of outer space: Recommendations and conclusions from Project 2001. Space Policy, 18(2), 157–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0265-9646(02)00007-3
24. Space Renaissance Initiative (2016). The Space Renaissance Manifesto (Rel. 1.2). https://spacerenaissance.space/sri/manifesto/
25. The Hague International Space Resources Governance Working Group (2020). Building Blocks for the Development of an International Framework on Space Resource Activities. https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/law/institute-of-public-law/institute-of-air-space-law/the-hague-space-resources-governance-working-group
26. Tronchetti, F. (2015). The exploitation of natural resources of the Moon and other celestial bodies: A proposal for a legal regime. Brill.
27. United Arab Emirates (2019). Federal Law No. 12 of 2019 on the Regulation of the Space Sector. Official Gazette of the United Arab Emirates. Retrieved from https://www.moj.gov.ae/assets/2020/Federal%20Law%20No%2012%20of%202019%20on%20THE%20REGULATION%20OF%20THE%20SPACE%20SECTOR.pdf.aspx
28. United Nations (1967). Treaty on principles governing the activities of states in the exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies (Outer Space Treaty). https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/introouterspacetreaty.html
29. United Nations (1979). Agreement governing the activities of states on the Moon and other celestial bodies (Moon Agreement). United Nations Treaty Series, 1363, 3. https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/moon-agreement.html
30. United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2019). Guidelines for the long-term sustainability of outer space activities (LTS Guidelines). https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/topics/long-term-sustainability-of-outer-space-activities.html
31. United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2023). The legal framework for space resource activities. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Legal Subcommittee. A/AC.105/C.139/2023/CRP.24. https://www.unoosa.org/res/oosadoc/data/documents/2023/aac_105c_2crp/aac_105c_2crp_24_0_html/AC105_C2CRP24E.pdf
32. United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (n.d.). Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities. https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/copuos/lsc/space-resources/index.html
33. United States Congress (2015). U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act, Public Law No: 114-90, 129 Stat. 704. https://www.congress.gov/114/plaws/publ90/PLAW-114publ90.pdf
34. von der Dunk, F. G. (2019). Intellectual property and space activities. In S. Hobe, B. Schmidt-Tedd, & K.-U. Schrogl (Eds.), Cologne commentary on space law (Vol. 3). Nomos.
35. White House (2018). Space Policy Directive-3: National space traffic management policy.