First, to craft laws and regulations that rely upon market mechanisms to maximize the efficient allocation of industry capital as fully as possible, reduce the costs associated with regulation and discourage partisan political interference in the space sector. Second, where the market isn't up to the job, to manage the competition for limited resources in the least intrusive manner. And last, to encourage an American space industry. The present law of outer space is rather uneven. International principles often retreat into ambiguous generalities or leave gaping holes which must be filled before any serious commercial development can occur.
Domestic standards are either absent or so cumbersome as to inhibit exploitation.
This state of affairs will not last, however. As the commercial space sector grows the laws and regulations pertaining to outer space will also grow. Not only will existing standards evolve, but new rules will emerge as nascent industries such as launch services, remote sensing, global positioning satellite business and space tourism become established. Whatever the character of space commerce may be in the 21st century, the predominant question for the space law and policy community will be how to deal with the growth of the space industry. Typically, this will involve addressing conflicts among the users of scarce space resources and opening the regulatory bottlenecks that will arise as a result of increased space activity.