Title Page
ABSTRACT
ABBREVIATIONS
Contents
CHAPTER ONE: BACKGROUND OF OUTER SPACE DEBRIS ISSUES 15
CHAPTER TWO: INTRODUCTION OF SPACE DEBRIS 20
2-1. Space Debris: Technical Issues 20
2-1-1. Types of Space Debris 20
2-1-2. Hazard and the Development Trend Posed by Space Debris 22
2-2. Space Debris: including Scientific and Economic Perspectives 24
2-3. Space Debris: Legal Issues 29
2-3-1. Legal Definition of Space Debris 29
2-3-2. State Responsibility and State Liability 32
2-3-3. Legal issue on Space Debris Mitigation and Prevention 37
CHAPTER THREE: OBSTACLES IN THE WAY OF SPACE DEBRIS MITIGATION AND PREVENTION 40
3-1. The Corporate and Civil Society Perspective 40
3-2. Deficiency of Nation Perspective 43
3-2-1. Technical Difficulties 44
3-2-2. Economic Cost 50
3-2-3. Lack of Consistent Domestic Law 52
3-3. Deficiency of International Perspective 53
3-3-1. Lack of an International Legal Instrument on Space Debris 53
3-3-2. Lack of International Information Sharing Mechanism 61
3-3-3. Weakness of the Space Liability and Dispute Settlement Mechanism 66
3-3-4. Absence of An International Governing Body 71
3-3-5. Deficiency of "Polluter Pays Principle" for Space Debris Mitigation and Prevention 74
CHAPTER FOUR: PROPOSALS FOR CHANGE 78
4-1. Perfection of State Responsibility 78
4-2. Modify the Liability Convention and Improve Liability System for All Damage Caused by Space Operations 82
4-2-1. Establish the System of "Strict Liability" 83
4-2-2. Improve the System of "Fault-based Liability" 90
4-2-3. Proposal For a Improved Market-Share Liability System 93
4-3. To Reach a Binding Treaty on Space Debris 97
4-4. Set Up an International Space Agency 101
4-5. Application of Common-but-differentiated Responsibility 104
4-5-1. Necessity of the application of Common-but-Differentiated Responsibilities in Space Debris Mitigation. 106
4-5-2. Feasibility of the application of Common-but-Differentiated Responsibilities in Space Debris Mitigation 108
4-5-3. Operations for the application of Common-but-Differentiated Responsibilities in Space Debris Mitigation 110
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION 114
REFERENCES 119