Abstract This chapter outlines the major institutional as well as legal problems involved in the use of communications satellites for commercial or instructional purposes, especially those in the organization and activities of INTELSAT. These activities break new grounds, inasmuch as they constitute the first experiment in the commercial exploitation of the resources of outer space. The experience gained in this first experiment is bound to have an important effect on the future development of space law, which must henceforth concern itself not only with the provision of a legal framework for scientific exploration, but also with ensuring that in the exploitation of the natural resources of outer space and celestial bodies the welfare of mankind and of nations large and small is safeguarded.