Legal and Policy Aspects of the Use of Satellites in Armed Conflicts

Recent conflicts, including the war between Russia and Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East, have demonstrated that space-based capabilities can play a decisive role in contemporary warfare. Satellites can be used for communication, intelligence gathering, surveillance, navigation and targeting, but they can also become targets in hostilities. These developments raise complex legal and policy questions concerning the applicability and interpretation of International space law and international humanitarian law, state responsibility, neutrality, collective security, and the involvement of private actors in military activities. This book examines the legal foundations that govern military activities in outer space, the protection and status of space objects, the involvement of non-state actors and their responsibilities, and the strategic considerations that shape the space policies of NATO and the European Union. This publication was created as part of the Hubert Curien/Balaton Programme, in collaboration between the Institute of Aerospace and Telecommunications Law (Ludovika University of Public Service, Budapest) and the Institute of Space and Telecommunications Law (Université Paris-Saclay).

The book is available free of charge in electronic form on the Ludovika Open Access and “Közszolgálati Tudásportál” platforms.