Political and Legal Possibilities for the Protection of Astronomical Observations: the Problem of Dark and Quiet Skies

Introduction. The rapid growth of satellite me­ga-constellations in Low Earth Orbit has intensified the problem of maintaining «Dark and Quiet Skies» - the conditions necessary for optical and radio as­tronomy. The legal aspect of the issue lies in the fact that international community has not yet developed universal mechanisms either for quantitative limita­tion of launches or for legal protection of observations from the light and radio frequency effects of satellites and ground infrastructure, although the problem itself is officially recognized at the UN level. Since 2025, according to UN General Assembly Resolution 79/87 of December 4, 2024, a separate item «Dark and Quiet Skies, Astronomy and large constellations: addressing emerging issues and challenges» has been added to the agenda of the Committee on the Peace­ful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, which institutionalized the discussion and made it intergovernmental.

Materials and methods. The article analyzes both the doctrinal approaches and acts of non-gov­ernmental organizations to solving the problem of the «Dark and Quiet Skies», as well as acts of in­ternational intergovernmental organizations and national legislation of foreign countries. The appli­cability of the current norms of international space law is also considered. In addition to the conceptual framework of the international law, the scientific cat­egories of philosophy, political science and astrono­my are also examined. The study used comparative legal and formal legal methods, the method of system analysis, etc.

Results of the study. For the progressive de­velopment of international space law at the present stage, it is extremely important to adapt it to the challenges and threats emerging in practice. That could be implemented by the active involvement of different States and relevant international organiza­tions in the search for practical mechanisms, primar­ily of a legal nature.

The dissemination and implementation of stand­ards of relevant international organizations accom­panied by a discussion of the best national approach­es and practices should be considered an effective measure.

Discussion and conclusion. The sources of negative effect on astronomical observations are di­verse: ground-based light pollution (artificial light at night), optical footprints of satellites in Low Earth Orbit, and radio interference. At the same time, the optical spectrum is regulated mainly by soft law and national acts, while radio astronomy is based on the mandatory norms of the International Telecommu­nication Union, including the principles of economi­cal use of the orbital-frequency resource and the pro­hibition of harmful interference.

The negative effect might be reduced by the con­sultations of the launching States about satellite flight paths in orbit taking into account the interests of all parties engaged. An effective measure is also to expand the principles of long-term sustainability of outer space activities that already contain guidelines for the radio spectrum and orbits (principle A.4), but do not cover the optical component.

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