International Space Environment Protection Protocol: Conceptual Framework for Global Space Governance

The long-term sustainability of outer space is under mounting pressure from three converging trends: the rapid growth of satellite megaconstellations, the accumulation of orbital debris approaching cascade-threshold density in low Earth orbit, and the gradual extension of commercial and non-scientific activities to the lunar surface and cislunar space, and, increasingly, planetary exploration destinations beyond the Earth–Moon system. Existing international space law – principally the 1967 Outer Space Treaty (OST) and its associated instruments – was not adequately designed to address these challenges and leaves significant regulatory gaps. This article contributes to the growing scholarly debate on space governance reform by presenting a conceptual policy framework: International Space Environment Protection Protocol. Rather than claiming legislative force, the ISEPP is advanced as a normative blueprint that articulates governance principles, institutional architecture, and regulatory mechanisms capable of being adapted within existing or future multilateral processes, including those developed through the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The framework rests on five foundational principles – precaution, polluter-pays, intergenerational equity, scientific primacy, and cooperative governance – and addresses orbital debris mitigation, light and radio-frequency pollution from satellite constellations, planetary protection, and the prohibition of non-scientific activities in sensitive extraterrestrial environments.