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In-Situ Resource Utilization

This chapter discusses whether and how the existing rules of international space law can be applied to regulate the activity of space resource exploitation, with a focus on in-situ resource utilization. As such, the chapter aims to establish how natural resources should be defined in the context of space law, how the activity of exploitation compares to other types of activities in space, in particular the prohibited activity of national appropriation, and the extent to which the type and supply of space resource may impact on its regulation. The chapter concludes with a brief overview of the most recent developments in national and international forums attempting to regulate space resource exploitation.