On 6 December 2011, the Administrative Council of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (the "PCA") adopted the "PCA Optional Rules for the Arbitration of Disputes Relating to Outer Space Activities."

The project was set in motion in 2009 by the PCA's Secretary-General, Mr. Christiaan M.J. Kröner, in response to a perceived need for specialized dispute resolution mechanisms in the rapidly evolving field of outer space activities. The text was developed by the International Bureau of the PCA, in conjunction with an Advisory Group of leading experts in air and space law.