The Legal Conundrum of Mega-Constellations: A Call for a Sustainable Space Governance Framework

The rapid deployment of mega-constellations in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) exposes a critical failure in current International Space Law (ISL) to ensure sustainability and equitable access. Existing space hard and soft law is insufficient to curb the exponential growth of space debris, creating a significant negative environmental externality. This paper argues that International Environmental Law (IEL) principles, such as the polluter pays principle (PPP) should be integrated into the space legal sphere. Also, it proposes the establishment of some policy tools, which would be extremely in protecting space from a "tragedy of the commons".