Regulation of the Environmental Impact of Rocket and Space Activities within the Environmental Legislation of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan

Abstract

The environmental legislation of the Russian Federation does not fully regulate the impact on the environment during the creation and operation of rocket and space technology. The impact of carrier rockets launches on the environment is currently not standardized: there is no payment for negative environmental impact, there are no impact regulations. The legislation of the Russian Federation does not provide for environmental monitoring of spaceports and rocket stages drop zones. The commissioning of the Vostochny Cosmodrome requires solving the accumulated problems on environmental management issues in the implementation of rocket and space activities. Additional difficulties arise during the operation of the Baikonur Cosmodrome located on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan due to differences in approaches to the environmental management in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation. The analysis of the regulatory acts of the two states in terms of applicability to the rocket and space activities has shown that the improvement of the regulation of this type of anthropogenic impact on the environment is easier to implement within the Kazakhstan legislation. It would be advisable to have uniform requirements for space complexes in their development and operation within the environmental legislation of the CIS member states.