The article questions the adequacy of the present regulatory framework of space activities, dating back to a historical phase when commercial opportunities could not be foreseen and only States were operating in the sector, certainly not for profit but rather for international prestige. The present regulatory framework does not appear adequate for the new commercial activities in space, such as tourism, from suborbital flights to tourist packages in the orbital space stations or facilities planned on the Moon. The author calls for the adoption of uniform law, as he does not consider sufficient the laws adopted by individual States, even with important space activities. Rules should be adopted on the status of space tourists and their rights, also with respect for damages they may suffer. In this regard, the author questions the foundations of a future liability regime, pointing out the problems that could be caused by a provision of limited liability damages from death and personal injury (in particular, the author cites the decisions of the Italian Constitutional Court on limitation in international carriage by air, according to the 1929 Warsaw Convention, and that on compensation limits in tourist packages).
Lo scritto si interroga sulla adeguatezza dell’attuale quadro normativo sul-l’attività aerospaziale, risalente ad una fase storica in cui ancora non si intravede-vano opportunità commerciali e ad operare nel settore erano solamente gli Stati, non certamente per ragioni di profitto, ma di prestigio internazionale. Tale disci-plina non appare adeguata rispetto alle nuove attività commerciali nello spazio, come il turismo, dai voli suborbitali fino ai pacchetti turistici nelle stazioni spaziali orbitanti o nelle strutture progettate sulla luna. L’autore auspica l’adozione di una disciplina di diritto uniforme, non ri-tenendo sufficienti leggi adottate da singoli Stati, per quanto con attività spaziali importanti. Occorre adottare regole sullo status del turista spaziale e sui suoi diritti, anche per quanto concerne i danni che possa eventualmente subire. A quest’ultimo riguardo l’autore si interroga sui fondamenti di un futuro regime di responsabilità, evidenziando i problemi che potrebbero derivare dalla previsio-ne di una responsabilità limitata per i danni da morte e lesioni personali (in par-ticolare, l’autore richiama la giurisprudenza della Corte costituzionale italiana sui limiti nel trasporto aereo internazionale, secondo la convenzione di Varsavia del 1929 e quella sui limiti risarcitori nei pacchetti turistici).
IL TURISMO SPAZIALE E LA NECESSITÀ DI UNA SUA DISCIPLINA / COMENALE PINTO, Michele Maria. - In: RIVISTA DEL DIRITTO DELLA NAVIGAZIONE. - ISSN 0035-5895. - 2022:2(2022), pp. 429-467. [10.57574/596523861]
IL TURISMO SPAZIALE E LA NECESSITÀ DI UNA SUA DISCIPLINA
MICHELE MARIA COMENALE PINTO
2022-01-01
Abstract
The article questions the adequacy of the present regulatory framework of space activities, dating back to a historical phase when commercial opportunities could not be foreseen and only States were operating in the sector, certainly not for profit but rather for international prestige. The present regulatory framework does not appear adequate for the new commercial activities in space, such as tourism, from suborbital flights to tourist packages in the orbital space stations or facilities planned on the Moon. The author calls for the adoption of uniform law, as he does not consider sufficient the laws adopted by individual States, even with important space activities. Rules should be adopted on the status of space tourists and their rights, also with respect for damages they may suffer. In this regard, the author questions the foundations of a future liability regime, pointing out the problems that could be caused by a provision of limited liability damages from death and personal injury (in particular, the author cites the decisions of the Italian Constitutional Court on limitation in international carriage by air, according to the 1929 Warsaw Convention, and that on compensation limits in tourist packages).I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.