Risk Management in Outer Space Activities: An Australian and New Zealand Perspective

Risk Management in Outer Space Activities assesses selected risks associated to space activities, from an Australian and New Zealand perspective. The book explores the rise of commercial space activities in Australia and New Zealand and considers how the development of Australia and New Zealand's regulatory framework is equipped to address new risks that arise and provides an analysis over new key emerging-risks.

When dealing with the juxtaposition of international law against the specific and varying domestic legal frameworks that implement overarching governance of risk management, the Australian and New Zealand regulatory framework illustrates that the concept of new commercial risks is an area that requires more analysis and development. Both jurisdictions approach risk from the perspective of liability and international legal obligations, but as a result of their different historical developments in space activities, their risk approaches differ. This is illustrated by research that suggests from an Australian perspective, much of its development focused on issues that resulted from Cold War military-security concerns; whereas the New Zealand's perspective, is fundamentally based on the rapid market-led-commercial development underway in New Zealand that occured before any legislation was implemented; To illustrate the novel risks considered in this book, the chapters act as case studies that assess unique commercial risks such as cybersecurity over space assets, light pollution, lunar landings and others, from the Australian and New Zealand perspective.

The work contained in this book is aimed to provide a practical and informed approach to risk management in space activities that will appeal to policy advisors, risk professionals, space advisors, lawyers dealing with this area of law, space agencies and other government departments dealing with space activities, academics and researchers. Students of law, politics, international relations and economics will also find the book useful in their space-related studies.