Environmental Impact Assessment and space activities Original Research Article

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the prior assessment of the possible effects of a proposed activity on the environment, is a common tool for environmental protection and management on Earth today. It was the first major step in the development of impact assessment procedures, which are probably the most obvious examples of an approach that integrates economic, social and environmental considerations. EIA is not a well-established tool in the international law of outer space, however. Despite the peculiarities in assessing the potential impacts of space activities, the premise of this paper is that also this field of human endeavor would benefit greatly from the adoption of EIA procedures and, moreover, such an approach is even becoming vital for the safe and rational conduct of these activities. This is particularly true inasmuch as any adverse environmental impacts of space activities are highly difficult to mitigate once they have materialized.