ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the concepts of "peaceful uses of outer space" and "common heritage of mankind and discusses other issues. There are a number of legal issues that are basic to the development of space stations. Resolution of these issues may hold the key to improved international cooperation in the utilization of service from space stations. Space stations could be characterized as peaceful, peace keeping, war deterring, or war making. Military leasing of a space station would be illegal under the "non-military" interpretation but legal under the US interpretation, provided the use was nonaggressive. The most area of application of the concept of "common heritage" is to outer space. Despite the "adverse implications," if outer space is viewed as the "common heritage of mankind," as it has been defined for the sea and moon resources purposes, it could be argued that all states, regardless of technical capability, would have access to the services of a space station.
