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6 months ago in Space Law By Veena

Could we ever have private property in orbit—like a space westphalia?

I keep hearing this "Space Westphalia" analogy. If we signed a treaty recognizing private property rights in orbit, would it actually create order, or just chaos?

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By James Answered 2 months ago

The analogy is neat, Westphalia gave us sovereign states; a property treaty could give us stable orbital "estates." In theory, clear ownership rules would reduce conflict and encourage investment. But here's the problem the Outer Space Treaty explicitly bans national appropriation of space. You'd have to tear that up or creatively reinterpret it. And even then, who gets the prime real estate? The first mover? The highest bidder? It's a fascinating thought experiment, but the equity questions are brutal.

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