Paul Stephen Dempsey

The Need for an Integrated Regulatory Regime for Aviation and Space

Acknowledgements.- foreword,- about the editors.- executive summary.- list of acronyms.- list of exhibits.- introduction.- chapter 1: background.- chapter 2: legal and regulatory regimes.- chapter 3: safety issues.- chapter 4: need for international space safety regulations.- chapter 5: proposal for a new regulatory regime.- appendix a.- appendix b.- appendix c.

Legal and Regulatory Regimes

Several entities have developed, or are involved in the process of developing, safety regulations or guidelines that are appropriate for civil space activities both at the national and international levels. This section provides a brief overview of such entities and of their standardization activities with a view to assessing their (in)adequacy regarding regulatory protection and promotion of space safety.

Need for International Space Safety Regulations

On 15 October 2002, a Russian Soyuz launcher exploded some twenty seconds after lift-off from the Russian Plesetsk cosmodrome. The launcher’s payload was an unmanned Foton M-1 research satellite containing 44 experiments belonging to the European Space Agency. One of the four Soyuz boosters malfunctioned after launch and lost power. It fell away from the vehicle as it is designed to do when thrust no longer holds it in place and upon impact with the ground its tanks ruptured causing a large fire that resulted in significant damage to the pad. The launcher then automatically shut down the three other boosters about twenty seconds into the launch and the entire rocket fell back, struck the ground, and exploded in a huge fireball at a location about 1 km away from the launch pad. Apparently, the supply of hydrogen peroxide to the propellant turbo pumps was blocked by a metallic object. The explosion killed a Russian soldier watching the launch from the first floor of the integration building. Fortunately, all forty engineers and scientists from various European countries involved in the preparation of the spacecraft who were also watching the launch from a location closer to the explosion but on lower ground were unharmed in the accident.

Proposal for a New Regulatory Regime

In this Chapter, several other factors and developments are examined to further assess the rationale for ICAO’s involvement in space. Also included are the modalities for implementing the ICAO for Space proposal.

Overview of the United States Space Policy and Law

The United States has been a major participant in space exploration and use. Its policies have helped shape the development of international law on the subject. Its domestic laws also provide a framework for the use of space by the private sector.

Tax Incentives for Industrial Investment in the Southeastern United States

This article reviews comparative State laws on tax incentives for industrial investment.