The term "outer space" has always inspired visions of vast
regions of nothingness. So even 50 years into the space age,
people still tend to view space like the early pioneers viewed
the Wild West--sparsely populated, and therefore in little need
of laws or regulations, and so boundless that no one worried
about ruining the environment. Of course, over time, things
changed in the Wild West. As society and commerce grew, people
found that laws were essential to avoiding conflicts, resolving
disputes, allowing equitable distribution of resources, and
protecting the environment. In the five decades since the Soviet
Union launched Sputnik I, the space around Earth inhabited by
satellites has become sufficiently crowded and satellites have
become important enough to modern society that a Wild-West view
of space is outdated. Some 4,500 launches have taken place since
Sputnik, and there are currently 850 active satellites in space,
owned by some 50 countries, as well as nearly 700,000 pieces of
debris large enough t