1 Koretsky State and Law Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29202/asl/17/4
Received: 17 April 2026 / Accepted: 10 June 2026 / Published: 30 June 2026
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Abstract
In response to this regulatory gap, alternative mechanisms have emerged. The article highlights three interrelated trends shaping modern ISL: the expansion of “soft law,” the substitution of international regulation by fragmented national legal regimes in areas requiring universal governance, and the emergence of plurilateral (“club-based”) models of cooperation, such as the Artemis Accords and parallel initiatives. The increasing reliance on national legislation is thus not merely a reflection of state activity, but a compensatory and potentially problematic shift, whereby states unilaterally regulate matters that, by their nature, demand coordinated international legal solutions.
Particular attention is paid to unresolved issues such as the delimitation of outer space, the legal regime of space resources, and space debris mitigation, which expose the limitations of the existing framework. The article concludes that the current multi-layered and decentralized regulatory system risks undermining legal certainty and coherence in space governance. It advocates for a renewed commitment to the progressive development of ISL through binding international norms, potentially in the form of an additional protocol to the Outer Space Treaty, alongside a reconsideration of decision-making procedures within relevant international institutions.
Keywords: international space law; regulatory stagnation; consensus principle; soft law; regulatory substitution; national space legislation; fragmentation of legal regimes; space governance; space resources; space debris; delimitation of outer space; plurilateral cooperation.
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