This book is dedicated to the nascent discussion of the legal aspects of human exploration and possible settlement of Mars, and provides fresh insights and new ideas in two key areas. The first one revolves around the broader aspects of current space law, such as intellectual property rights in outer space, the legal implications of contact with extra-terrestrial intelligence, legal considerations around the freedom of exploration and use, and the International Space Station agreement as a precedent for Mars. The second one focuses on the creation and management of a new society on Mars, and includes topics such as human reproduction and childbirth, the protection of human rights in privately-funded settlements, legal aspects of a Martian power grid, and criminal justice on the red planet. With multiple national space agencies and commercial enterprises focusing on Mars, it is more than likely that a human presence will be established on the red planet in the coming decades. While the foundation of international space law, laid primarily by the Outer Space Treaty, remains the framework within which humans will engage with Mars, new and unforeseen challenges have arisen, driven particularly by the rapid pace of technological advancement in recent years. To ensure that space law can keep up with these developments, a new scholarly work such as the present one is critical. By bringing together a number of fresh international perspectives on the topic, the book is of interest to all scholars and professionals working in the space field.

Is Human Settlement on Mars Marking the Beginning of a New Era of Intellectual Property Rights Protection in Outer Space?.- How five fundamental human rights could be violated in privately-funded space settlements and the role of the Mars Agreement in their protection.- Legal Implications of Detection of or Contact with Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence in the Mars Agreement Including Human Settlements.- The International space Station (ISS) Intergovernmental Agreement as a Precedent for Regulating the First Human Settlements on Mars.- Building a new legal model for settlements on Mars.- Factors Influencing the future Martian population.- Who Speaks for Mars? The Responsibility to Protect and the Search for Life.- Crewed Space Mission Waste-streams and Impact on Human Exploration of Mars.- Shared Network Infrastructures on Mars: Implementing Legal Tools for the Establishment and Regulation of a Martian Power Grid.- A Tale of Two Planets in international Law: Limitations to the Freedom ofexploration and Use.- Protecting the Million-Year Picnic: The Importance of Importing the Rule of Law to Mars.- From Antarctica to Mars: Developing a Mars Treaty System.