Page:The Air Force Role In Developing International Outer Space Law (Terrill, 1999).djvu/38

 States, any international convention would hamper Air Force missions and research. Finally, he advised:  In this formative stage, we believe the practice of nations will create a more realistic precedent for future conduct in outer space than formulation at this time of international rules which could not possibly be grounded in actual practices and experience, but only on the abstract theories of each country’s statesmen and jurists. The value of actual practice is especially important so long as the United  States has the capability of leading the way in establishing the precedent. Colonel Norton’s early pronouncement of an Air Force position opposing Cooper’s efforts had been analyzed and written by Maj