Prospects of Space Tourism: A New Realm and Need for International Legal Framework

Abstract

A time was there when hardly one could imagine to go beyond the vastness of the sky which one can see by naked eyes. The time has however change with the advancement of science and technology and the progress made in the field of outer space activities by various States and space agencies. The result is that a new concept of space tourism has made advancement in the history of mankind. This paper is an attempt to captivate the field of space tourism which has gain much prominence since 2001. It analysis the domain of space tourism in the sub-orbital space and orbital space. The paper insights regarding the development of the field of space tourism which is estimated to be a billion dollars market in future where private companies such as SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin and Orion Span have marked their presence through successful tours to earth’s orbit. Space tourism though appears to be a thrill concept has also various challenges as pointed out in the paper. The paper focuses on the concept of space tourism and the challenges accompanying it. The study of the paper is based on secondary data related to articles published in journals, documents and websites. The outcome of the paper is the need for an international legal framework regarding principles of space law concerning issues relating to space tourism.