National space law. The case of France ad new challenges for space activities

Space activities are risked and the increase level of commercial and private interests in outer space lead States on developing national legal frameworks for space activities, particularly with regard of their responsibilities. Moreover, there is a general duty to bring domestic law into conformity with obligations under international treaties. Nowadays, States face up to new challenges, in particular concerning the proliferation of space debris, destructive collisions, the crowding of satellites, the growing saturation of the radio-frequency spectrum, end-of-life satellites and space tourism. Hence, several activities of States consist in strengthening or developing their national space laws and policies, as well as in reforming or establishing the governance of national space activities. In France, space policy rests essentially on National Space Agency (CNES) and space activities are led by the domestic space law of the 3rd June 2008, entered into force the 10th December 2010. This law sets rules in a context of privatization of space activities and the opening of the Guiana Space Centre to other launchers than Ariane, such as Soyouz (Russia) and Vega (Italy).