International Journal of Technology and Applied Science

E-ISSN: 2230-9004   •   Impact Factor: 10.31

A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

Call for Paper Volume 17 Issue 3 (March 2026) Submit your research before the last 3 days of this month to publish your research paper in the current issue.
Submit Research Paper Join as a Reviewer

Plagiarism is checked by the leading plagiarism checker TurnItIn

Call for Paper

Volume 17 Issue 3
March 2026

Submit your research paper

Indexing Partners
Academia Advanced Sciences Index Bielefeld Academic Search Engine CiteSeer DRJI Google Scholar Independent Search Engine & Directory Network ISI (International Scientific Indexing) Issuu Mendeley Research Networks
RefSeek ResearcherId - Thomson Reuters ResearchGate Scirus Scribd Semantic Scholar UTeM - Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka Wiki for Call for Papers WorldCat Zenodo

Militarization of Outer Space: Legal Limits under International Humanitarian Law

Author(s) Shivina Rathore
Country India
Abstract The militarization of outer space has accelerated dramatically in the twenty-first century, driven by the proliferation of anti-satellite weapons, dual-use satellite constellations, directed-energy systems, and the emerging integration of artificial intelligence into space-based military operations. This paper critically examines the legal limits imposed on the militarization of outer space under international humanitarian law (IHL) and the broader corpus of international space law. It analyses the foundational treaty framework centred on the Outer Space Treaty (1967) and its cognate instruments identifying the critical gap between the prohibition on weapons of mass destruction and the absence of any prohibition on conventional military operations in space. The paper examines the applicability of IHL's core principles distinction, proportionality, precaution, and the prohibition on unnecessary suffering to space warfare scenarios, with particular focus on the targeting of dual-use satellites, anti-satellite weapons testing, and cyber operations in space. Drawing on the landmark Woomera Manual on the International Law of Military Space Activities and Operations (2024) and recent developments in the United Nations Open-Ended Working Group on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space, the paper assesses the normative adequacy of the existing legal framework. It concludes that while space is not a lawless domain, it is a law-deficient one, and proposes a framework for a new legally binding instrument to address the most critical regulatory gaps.
Keywords Outer Space Treaty, International Humanitarian Law, Anti-Satellite Weapons, Dual-Use Satellites, Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space.
Published In Volume 17, Issue 3, Array 2026
Published On 2026-03-23
Cite This Militarization of Outer Space: Legal Limits under International Humanitarian Law - Shivina Rathore - IJTAS Volume 17, Issue 3, Array 2026.
View / Download PDF File

Share this



CrossRef

CrossRef DOI is assigned to each research paper published in our journal.

IJTAS DOI prefix is
10.71097/IJTAS

Downloads
Research Paper Format Copyright Permission Form and Undertaking Form Cover Page Vol 15 Isu 12Cover Page Vol 15 Isu 11Cover Page Vol 15 Isu 10

All research papers published on this website are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, and all rights belong to their respective authors/researchers.

CC-BY-SA Open Access

About IJTAS
Fees & Payment
Current Issue
Publication Archive 		Submit Research Paper
Track Submission Status
Publication Guidelines
Publication Ethics
Peer Review & Plagiarism 		Join as a Reviewer
Editors & Reviewers
Reviewer Referral Program
Get Reviewer Membership Certi. 		Website/Journal Policies
Usage Policy
Content Policies
Privacy Policy
Contact Us Message on WhatsApp +91-9687-182-185 editor@ijtas.com