Why are we discussing Economic Progress in the context of Interstellar Law?

To answer this question, we need to understand that Interstellar activities would involve personnel from different countries on the Earth - and correspondingly different economic and legal traditions - in particular, the varying importance of the Rule of Law.

Not only are we talking about different traditions on the Earth. It is very likely that, as we progress in space, we will be interacting with two types of aliens.

First, we will be dealing with space residents who, while their ancestors inhabited the Earth, they will be native to the space colonies.

Second, we are likely to make contact with aliens with no origination from the Earth. Given the traditions on Earth vary so much, it is truly beyond our comprehension regarding the nature and reality of alien economic and legal norms.

Yet with all of these differences, we need to pull together unifying principles. For without such an agreed unification of principles, economic progress may be difficult to achieve. We will see the need for such unification in our discussions in this book.

It is clear that the economic success of space colonies is critical for survival. For if the space colonies operate at a loss, their future would be limited.

That is why space exploration and advances slowed to almost a halt after the American Apollo programme. People saw high costs of going further. But they did not see financial benefits or business opportunities and profitability. Yet there were clear needs to tap into space, say the asteroids, for rare elements needed for the technologies -- not just for the future, but even at that time.

Accordingly, it was not until the 21st century that a second wave of space exploration developed. And that second wave, seeing profitability in tapping those rare elements, was spearheaded by high-tech corporate moguls.

But there are deeper issues with the second wave, issues that we will discuss in this book.

This is Mr. Risman's 20th law text. Mr. Risman is an Honours LL.B. graduate from the University of London, and obtained his LL.M from the same institution. Mr. Risman is a member of the Society of Legal Scholars of the United Kingdom and Ireland. He has advised the UK Supreme Court, and has spoken at Legal Conferences in the UK and abroad.