European Space Policy Institute

For almost forty years, several countries of Latin America have suggested the creation of a regional space agency, but this entity has not yet seen the light. Going from the conception of this entity to its definite concretization may become exceedingly complex if there is not a clear idea of what kind of structure this entity should have and what should be the necessary conditions to materialize it. This chapter examines some regional space cooperation mechanisms that Latin America could use as models for its regional space agency and analyses several conditions to establish this entity. Therefore, this chapter is divided into four sections: the first section presents the potential models for a Latin American Space Agency; the second section examines the conditions for the establishment of this entity; the third section analyses the potential forums to discuss the creation of the regional space agency, and the fourth section presents a set of considerations about the precedent sections.

Creating a Latin American Space Agency requires the fulfilment of several conditions, one of which is the constituent instrument that will formally establish this entity. How this instrument will be prepared, and what will be its legal status and content, will be decided by the interested Latin American countries. Nevertheless, these countries may learn from the experiences of other regions of the world in establishing regional space agencies. This chapter aims at providing some ideas that could be helpful for Latin America to prepare the convention of its regional space agency. The chapter is divided into two main sections. The first section deals with the preparatory work for the adoption of the Convention of a Latin American Space Agency, while the second section examines the potential content or provisions that this instrument may include by considering the structure and features of some regional models.

As in almost every area of human activity, law is a necessary tool to govern human relations in an orderly manner. The same conclusion applies at the international level, where international law regulates relations between states and other subjects. With the advent of space activities in the second half of the last century, the creation of specific legal rules to govern these activities became essential to avoid international conflicts and to guarantee legal security to the international community in the exploration and use of outer space. Latin American countries, as members of the international community of states, have contributed to some extent to the development of this legal discipline. Moreover, some Latin American states have adopted national legislation on space related matters or are in the process of elaborating such legislation to develop a national space sector or become strong space actors at the international level, or both. In this regard, the present chapter is divided in two parts: Part one refers to the participation of Latin American countries in the development and implementation of international space law. The analysis focuses on the views of Latin America on space legal issues within the UN’s current discussions, Latin America’s implementation of specific conventional obligations, and space law education programmes in the region. Part Two refers to national space law in Latin America. A description of the main national space and telecommunications regulations of selected Latin American countries is briefly presented.

On-orbit servicing (OOS) has the potential to revolutionise the space industry through the extension of satellite lifespans, in-situ repairs and upgrades, and active debris removal. The sector has also undergone its own historical evolution, of which the current first steps in robotic OOS is the latest phase. This is of great interest not only to developed space actors, but also to the developing space actors of the Global South, including Africa. In recent years, rapid advances have been made in this continent’s space sector, with increasing numbers of African satellites serving social, political, and economic development goals. However, several expensive satellite failures or impairments have also hampered these efforts, and OOS can thus play a vital role for Africa. The establishment of the African Space Agency and the creation of the African Space Policy and Strategy also lay the foundation for the continent’s potential future role as a supplier, not only a consumer, of OOS. However, significant challenges remain, and the instructive case of Edward Mukuka Nkoloso, a failed pioneer of the African space sector, is used to frame the chapter’s approach to these issues.