This book presents a geopolitical analysis of the upcoming human exploration of celestial bodies in the inner solar system by the major space powers. It utilizes a systemic approach to the analysis of political events in space to develop a comprehensive overview of the factors influencing planned or proposed missions to the selected objects – the Moon, Mars, and asteroids. As a result of this analysis, the book establishes forward-looking scenarios of possible developments to highlight the main fault lines of the upcoming operations beyond the currently most heavily utilized terrestrial orbits. This framework is rooted in a holistic overview of factors relevant to the mid-term settlement and mining efforts and allows us to highlight the main focal points that will determine the future power distribution inside the inner solar system. The methodology is based on the analysis of an interplay of numerous factors deemed crucial for the decision-making of the major space powers and their capacities to promote their interests in a given region. Major space powers are, for the purpose of this book, understood as those actors with a realistic ability to participate in or lead the inner solar system colonization and mining missions in the mid-term future for which scenario-making is the most suitable. Given the realities of space travel, however, smaller actors are also taken into consideration as a part of cooperative efforts which are, nonetheless, dominated by the major players or, alternatively, as possible spoilers of the efforts in several regional settings. The book thus provides an in-depth analysis of the possible futures regarding the nearing competition over the celestial bodies This book will be of much interest to students of space power and policy, geopolitics, airpower, and International Relations.

Propelling Understanding: Your Launchpad to Aerospace Engineering Excellence The realm of aerospace engineering is a confluence of science, ambition, and human endeavor, encapsulating the relentless pursuit of pushing boundaries and transcending terrestrial limitations. It is a domain that continually stretches the fabric of what is possible, melding imagination with the rigors of engineering precision. The Dictionary of Aerospace Engineering, with its extensive compilation of 6,000 meticulously curated titles, serves as a cornerstone for those engaged in this dynamic field, offering a wellspring of knowledge and a pathway to mastery. Embarking on the pages of this dictionary is akin to launching into a voyage through the core principles, advanced methodologies, and the ever-evolving technologies that are the hallmarks of aerospace engineering. Each entry is a beacon, illuminating complex terminologies and nuanced concepts, aiding both the seasoned engineer and the aspiring practitioner in navigating the vast expanse of aerospace engineering knowledge. The Dictionary of Aerospace Engineering is not merely a repository of terms but an edifice of understanding. It is a conduit through which the intricate and the arcane become accessible, where challenging concepts are decoded into comprehensible insights. This dictionary is an endeavor to foster a shared lexicon, to enhance communication, collaboration, and innovation across the aerospace engineering community. This comprehensive reference material transcends being a passive dictionary; it is a dynamic engagement with the multifaceted domain of aerospace engineering. Each term, each title is a testament to the relentless spirit of inquiry and the unyielding drive for innovation that characterizes the aerospace engineering sector. The Dictionary of Aerospace Engineering is an invitation to delve deeper, to engage with the lexicon of flight and space, and to emerge with a richer understanding and a sharpened expertise. It’s a portal through which the uninitiated become adept, the curious become enlightened, and the proficient become masters. Every term, every phrase is a step closer to unraveling the mysteries and embracing the challenges that propel the aerospace engineering domain forward. As you traverse through the entries of The Dictionary of Aerospace Engineering, you are embarking on a journey of discovery. A journey that will not only augment your understanding but will also ignite the spark of curiosity and the drive for innovation that are the hallmarks of excellence in aerospace engineering. We beckon you to commence this educational expedition, to explore the breadth and depth of aerospace engineering lexicon, and to emerge with a boundless understanding and an unyielding resolve to contribute to the ever-evolving narrative of aerospace engineering. Through The Dictionary of Aerospace Engineering, may your quest for knowledge soar to new heights and may your contributions to the aerospace engineering domain echo through the annals of human achievement.

Neither rational choice theory, with its emphasis on interest calculation, nor sociological institutionalist theory, with its emphasis on identity-defined rule following, indicates how governments determine which of their multiple interests or identities are at stake in a particular situation or how they develop mutual comprehension of each other's goals. International Regimes for the Final Frontier addresses these gaps by tracing how governments approach an unfamiliar issue—in this case, international agreements regulating human activity in outer space between 1958 and 1988—and examines three ways situation definitions channel governments' approaches to issues or problems.

China has made rapid developments in space technologies and space activities in the last few years, however, it still lags behind in the legal arena. In order to provide guidelines for and promote further development of space activities, China should speed up its national space legislation process. In National Space Law in China, Yun Zhao offers a comprehensive study of national space laws, regulations and policies in China. It contains rich information and materials of China’s space law and practice. As the first English monograph on national legislation on space law in China, this book shall contribute to the understanding of China’s current legal regime for space activities and future national space legislation.

The question of the sources of international law inevitably raises some well-known scholarly controversies: where do the rules of international law come from? And more precisely: through which processes are they made, how are they ascertained, and where does the international legal order begin and end? This is the static question of the pedigree of international legal rules and the boundaries of the international legal order. Second, what are the processes through which these rules are made? This is the dynamic question of the making of these rules and of the exercise of public authority in international law. The Oxford Handbook of the Sources of International Law is the very first comprehensive work of its kind devoted to the question of the sources of international law. It provides an accessible and systematic overview of the key issues and debates around the sources of international law. It also offers an authoritative theoretical guide for anyone studying or working within but also outside international law wishing to understand one of its most foundational questions. This Handbook features original essays by leading international law scholars and theorists from a range of traditions, nationalities and perspectives, reflecting the richness and diversity of scholarship in this area.

With more than 158,000 treaties and some 125 judicial organisations, international law has become an inescapable factor in world politics since the Second World War. In recent years, however, international law has also been increasingly challenged as states are voicing concerns that it is producing unintended effects and accuse international courts of judicial activism. This book provides an important corrective to existing theories of international law by focusing on how states respond to increased legalisation and rely on legal expertise to manoeuvre within and against international law. Through a number of case studies, covering a wide range of topical issues such as surveillance, environmental regulation, migration and foreign investments, the book argues that the expansion and increased institutionalisation of international law itself have created the structural premise for this type of politics of international law. More international law paradoxically increases states' political room of manoeuvre in world society.