OUTER SPACE

Question 1

What rules and procedures regulate the global framework of outer space?

Answer 1

• The 1967 Outer Space Treaty (Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies)
• The 1968 Agreement on Rescue (Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space)
• The 1972 Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects
• The 1975 Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space
• The 1979 Moon Agreement (Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies)

*We also need to consider the 2007 Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines

Question 2

What are the key points registered within the 1967 Outer Space Treaty?

Answer 2

• Freedom of exploration, investigation and use without any discrimination by all State parties
• Promotion of cooperation and understanding
• No appropriation under national sovereignty
• Use of outer space for peaceful purposes under international law
• States have international responsibility (whether the activities are performed by governmental or non-governmental entities under their jurisdiction)

Question 3

What are the key points of the 1968 Agreement on Rescue on outer space?

Answer 3

• Any party that discovers or is informed about personnel of a spacecraft in distress must notify the launching authority and the UN Secretary General, and make a public announcement
• If a spacecraft lands in the territory under the jurisdiction of other Contracting Party (due to accident, emergency, distress…), this Contracting Party has the duty to take all possible steps to render assistance
• Each Contracting Party having jurisdiction over the territory on which a space object or its component parts has been discovered shall, upon the request of the launching authority and with assistance from that authority if requested, take such steps as it finds practicable to recover the object or component parts

Question 4

What are the key points of the 1975 Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space?

Answer 4

• Any space object launched into outer space needs to be collected by the Launching Authority in a registry and inform the UN Secretary General of the establishment of such registry
• If there are two or more Launching States responsible of the same space object, they will decide which one registers said object
• The UN Secretary General will maintain an open-access registry comprising all the worldwide registered space objects

Question 5

What are the key points of the 1972 Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects?

Answer 5

Contacting Parties are liable bearing in mind that:

• “Damage” means personnel loss of life, injury or impairment of health, or loss or damage of property belonging to states, international orgs., or persons (natural or juridical)
• “Launching” also includes attempted launching
• “Launching State” refers to the one that (I) launches or procures the launching of a space object or (II) from whose territory or facilities the launching is performed
• “Space Object” also refers to component parts of the space object itself

Question 6

Which are the main international organizations that regulate outer space issues?

Answer 6

• Universal organizations: the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), under the UN
• Regional organizations: European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)