Legal and policy aspects of space situational awareness

With the rising number of man-made space objects, space situational awareness becomes increasingly important for space faring nations. International cooperation and exchange of data and information are prerequisites. Different forms of cooperation are possible and national policies have an impact. New players of the information industry can take over roles in space situational awareness. This article examines how principles like international cooperation, responsibility, liability and the obligations to register space objects under the existing space treaties apply to space situational awareness.