Santiago Vrech - Justice in Access to Outer Space: Is it Fair to Go?

Abstract: Recent work in territorial rights has significantly advanced theorizing for unoccupied territories, yet one central domain, outer space, remains absent from this literature. This omission is increasingly untenable given the challenges posed by the “New Space” revolution. This paper argues that a theory of justice for unoccupied territories must be extended to include outer space, a move that requires prioritizing the core issue of access. Unlike inhabited territories, outer space raises a distinct problem: whether, and on what grounds, human presence in this territory ought to be established at all. I argue that this is the foundational question of territorial justice for an unoccupied territory like outer space, and that answering it requires articulating specific reasons of justice for going there. Drawing on Elizabeth Anderson’s theory of democratic egalitarianism, this article identifies these reasons and demonstrates how they ground a normative account of just access.