0191-9067/83 $3.00 + .00 Copyright © 1984 SUNSAT Energy Council DIRECT BROADCAST SATELLITES AND ECOSPACE 25TH IISL COLLOQUIUM ON THE LAW OF OUTER SPACE IV: 33RD INTERNATIONAL ASTRONAUTICAL CONFERENCE Paris, France — October 1, 1982 HONORABLE EDWARD R. FINCH, JR. Member New York. District of Columbia and Florida Bars Member International Astronautical Academy Finch & Schaefler 36 West 44th Street New York, New York 10036, USA Abstract — Direct Broadcast Satellites present some of today's most controversial outer space law and science issues. It legally presents a mix of outer space, air space and Earth- bound problems, both national and international. The legal, space application and technological issues also touch individual human rights and the sovereignty of nations. Recently, UNISPACE 1982 has accelerated these issues. Is this beneficial for orderly progress of DBS? Shouldn't the United Nations COPUOS now refer DBS back to its outstanding Scientific-Technical Subcommittee? Has the time come when outer space application technology and the stringent economic costs of outer space demand careful scientific restudy on DBS legal considerations for a few years? Thus, the rapidly advancing international law of outer space could get back in proper timing step with the new outer space science and technology of DBS. It is submitted that ECOSPACE, the economics of outer space and rapid technological changes are now the prime factors for developed and lesser developed countries in DBS. The matter should now, for a few years, be left to the ITU and RARC 1983 and WARC 1985 and WARC 1987, so that the DBS geostationary problems can be technologically addressed as to radio spectrum and physical slot allocations before the international legal and policy positions for the benefit of all nations of the world are again reviewed in the United Nations; and consensus more readily reached in 1988. The author reminds that he speaks only in his individual capacity and solicits new law and science approaches and ideas to the resolution of the DBS and ECOSPACE problems. Also, the related remote sensing developments may light the path to DBS legal and policy solutions by 1988. INTRODUCTION The theme of this Congress is “Outer Space in the Year 2000.” Dr. Lubos Perek, President of IAF, predicts that “many of the space missions that will be operating then will be based on today’s science and technology. It is therefore quite timely to consider now the space activities, space vehicles and space environment that awaits us at the dawn of the third millenium” (1). One topic for this IISL Colloquium “Legal Aspects of Direct Broadcast Satellites” involves space activities of today and tomorrow on the Earth and in the geostationary orbit, so the topic was certainly most appropriately chosen by our President and our Chairman. In addition, it is most appropriate because it is probably the most controversial space activity for today and tomorrow and the years to come, not only in the United Nations COPUOS, but in every country of this planet Earth, apart from the issue of militarization of outer space, now before the United Nations Committee on Disarmament.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==