The precautionary principle serves as a guide in case of scientific uncertainty regarding the environmental risks posed by a particular activity. In my master’s thesis, I describe the current international legal framework for the protection of the space environment in connection with the precautionary principle and the inclusion and applicability of the precautionary principle in human activities in outer space. At the level of international environmental law, the challenge is the definition of the authoritative version of the precautionary principle and its general acceptance as a principle of customary international law. In the field of international space law, there is a notable exception to the mention of the precautionary principle in legal sources, although some precautionary measures to protect the space environment can be de facto identified in various legal documents. The rapid development of technology requires constant adjustment of rules and regulations, which, in certain cases, makes development through soft law faster and more appropriate, while insight into such documents is important for understanding the current development of space law. Particular human activities in outer space require varying degrees of application of the precautionary principle. In the case of space debris, mega-constellations of satellites, and mining on celestial bodies, I advocate the application of the precautionary principle. My theses are that, in the light of many scientific unknowns, the precautionary principle is applicable in international space law and that the precautionary principle in this area of law is not yet as recognised as it is in general international environmental law.
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