Abstract

This paper intends to explore the characteristics of national space legislation in the Asia-Pacific region, mainly based on the findings of a report compiled by the National Space Legislation Initiative (NSLI) participated by experts and practitioners of space policy and law from nine States in the Asia-Pacific region. The report’s findings suggest that the private entities’ participation in the space activities is a major driving factor behind the enactment of national space laws. Through a detailed re-investigation of the report together with information obtained from interviews, material research and comparison with cases in other regions, authors found that the States’ political, juridical, geographical factors and legal culture are likely to be additional factors, and that these may be applicable to cases in other regions. Learning about the law-making experiences of other States, as NSLI has done, would be beneficial for States interested in establishing their own national space laws.