Abstract:
The collision prevention event of “Starlink” has highlighted the risk of collision of space objects, and the issue of legalization of space traffic management has once again attracted the attention of the international community. As the pace of human space exploration and use of space activities accelerates, the demand for the legalization of space traffic management is increasing day by day. At present, although some international conventions or international soft laws provide legal principles for the legalization of space traffic management, there is still a lack of specialized treaties to regulate space traffic management. In terms of the domestic legal system of space traffic management, the United States tries to grasp the international rule-making power of space traffic management by formulating domestic rules first. Therefore, China has a long way to go in the legalization of space traffic management. To this end, it is necessary for China to strengthen bilateral cooperation and coordination, take the traffic rules on the high seas as reference to improve its legal policies related to space traffic management, so as to contribute to the rule of law for China’s transformation from a major player in space to a major power in space.