Space Debris in International Law: Regulatory Challenges and Legal Solutions

This research comprehensively examines the challenges of international law arising from space debris. The present study shows that the existing legal system, despite significant achievements, suffers from three main structural weaknesses: the fragmentation of legal documents, the lack of effective monitoring mechanisms, and the absence of binding enforcement mechanisms. The findings indicate that current voluntary approaches to reducing space debris are insufficient and require a fundamental transformation in the interpretation of space law principles. This study, using a descriptive-analytical method and by reviewing international documents, judicial procedures, and scientific perspectives, proposes three levels of solutions: at the technical level (mandatory design standards), the economic level and the institutional level (strengthening international cooperation). The main innovation of this study is in presenting the concept of preventive space rights and developing a framework for extended producer responsibility. The results show that solving this challenge requires revising existing treaties, establishing specialized regulatory institutions, and developing a digital registry system for space objects. The study ultimately emphasizes the need for urgent action by the international community to prevent the realization of the “Kessler syndrome” scenario and preserve outer space for future generations.