From Space Race to Disgrace: A Summary of The Russian Federation’s National Space Legislation and Its Recent Decline in the Global Space Sector (White Paper)

Authors

John Lukowski, University of Nebraska College of Law

Date of this Version

5-2-2023

Document Type

Article

Citation

Nebraska Law Bulletin (May 2, 2023)

Comments

Copyright 2023, the author

Abstract

This paper seeks to summarize the national legislation governing the Russian Federation’s activities in space while providing additional insight into how this body of law has affected the Russian Federation and its space endeavors throughout its complicated history. The first section provides a history lesson of space endeavors under the former Soviet Union and how its collapse helped shape the space sector in today’s Russian Federation. The second section summarizes the Russian Federation’s main body of legislation governing space activity enacted in 1993. The third section provides updates regarding additional legislation passed since 1993 as space activities have advanced over the past few decades. The fourth and final section offers a glimpse into the Russian Federation’s future space endeavors.