CLEARING INDIA’S SEAS AND SKIES: A BOLD SPACE DEBRIS LAW FOR 2025

AUTHOR – AHMAD BILAL, RASHTRIYA RAKSHA UNIVERSITY

BEST CITATION – AHMAD BILAL, CLEARING INDIA’S SEAS AND SKIES: A BOLD SPACE DEBRIS LAW FOR 2025, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPACE LAW AND POLICY (IJSLP), 3 (1) OF 2025, PG. 60-73, APIS – 3920 – 0014 & ISSN – 2584-1955

Abstract

India’s legal and policy framework for managing satellite debris in its 2.37 million km² Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and territorial waters is critically deficient, exposing its maritime ecosystems and economic interests to significant risks. The outdated Outer Space Act, 1962, lacks provisions for debris mitigation, while the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and UNCLOS (1982) are inadequately integrated to address space debris as a marine pollutant. Ambiguous private sector regulations under the Indian Space Policy, 2023, and India’s reluctance to invoke the Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects (1972) further exacerbate vulnerabilities, as evidenced by the unaddressed 2021 Long March 5B re-entry. This paper proposes the Space Debris Liability and Compensation Act, 2025, incorporating absolute liability, a compensation tribunal, and mandatory private sector mitigation, drawing on U.S., French, and Australian models. Critical analysis reveals judicial, economic, and diplomatic challenges, mitigated through phased implementation, insurance models, and Quad cooperation. Recommendations urge legislative enactment by 2026, policy enhancements via IN-SPACe and NETRA, and global advocacy at COPUOS, ensuring India’s leadership in sustainable space governance.

Keywords: Space debris, maritime zones, national space law, liability, environmental protection