ABSTRACT
Cyberspace activities are undertaken irrespective of territorial boundaries or other traditional limitations which normally play an important role in establishing the link between entities involved in electronic communications and the rules governing their responsibilities. The transmission of confidential information through cyberspace could endanger the secrecy needed for legal protection. This chapter addresses the principal issues concerning outer space to try to draw a comparative assessment between outer space and cyberspace. Outer space – historically dominated by two superpowers, the United States and the former USSR – was at first used mainly for military purposes. According to the Outer Space Treaty, a state is internationally responsible for 'national activities in outer space', including those undertaken by 'non-governmental entities', in order to monitor their compliance with the rules of space law. In addition to general national legislation on space, specific domestic regulations exist in some countries regarding the launching of space objects, satellite communications and the export of space-related materials.
