International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects

1980 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
pp. 346-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl Q. Christol

The exploration and use of the space environment, consisting of outer space per se, the moon, and celestial bodies, may result in harm to persons and to property. International law and municipal law have focused on rules allowing for the payment of money damages for harm caused by space objects and their component parts, including the “payload.” Both forms of law have accepted the basic proposition that money damages should compensate for harm. Principal attention will be given in this analysis to the kinds of harm caused by space objects that are considered to be compensable under international law at the present time.

1988 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 457-466
Author(s):  
Bruce A. Hurwitz

With the launching of Israel's first satellite, Offeq–1, on September 19, 1988, Israel's commitments in international space law came into practical effect. Specifically, Israel is bound through ratification to the 1967 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 the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched Into Outer Space; and the 1972 Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects. Two additional treaties, the 1975 Convention on Registration of Objects Launched Into Outer Space, and the 1979 Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, have yet to be signed or ratified by Israel.


AUC IURIDICA ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 153-166
Author(s):  
Šimon Pepřík

The aim of this article is to describe the legal regime of the natural resources of celestial bodies. In recent months and years, there has been an increase in debates regarding mining on the moon and asteroids. This article is dedicated to the analysis of the legal regime of such activities. In particular, whether such activities are possible from the point of view of international law, how they are regulated and what are the potential future developments in this area. The article offers an analysis and comparison of the legal regime governing the natural resources of celestial bodies based on the Outer Space Treaty and the Moon Agreement, respectively. The Moon Agreement is given special attention despite its limited international significance, and arguments are presented in favour of its possible recognition by more states in the future. In both cases, arguments are presented that the non-appropriation principle regarding the outer space and celestial bodies, as expressed in both international treaties, does not apply to the natural resources.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (20) ◽  
pp. 119-127
Author(s):  
Daria Bulgakova

As space tourism-related technology breakthrough, the outlook of mining activities having in space moves spacious to be a fact but it should develop in consent with international law, because the issue of space is a deal of international pointing, since space pointing as explorer zone by humanity. The significant guiding instruments in international space law in relating to the space tourism industry are Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, that entered into force on 10 October 1967; Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, entered into force on 11 July 1984. These international treaties mainly condition the states the freedom to explore and using space, but at the same time do not consider the national appropriation of it. The work also proposes European legislation that is applicable to space tourism. The main attention is given to the Treaty of Lisbon. But during the studying, the author proposed the opinion that it can’t be acceptable to space tourism, since it does not directly or even indirectly indicate it. Although it may be applied as such, due to the lack of appropriate specific acts in the field of space travel. However, this act is recommended as a fundamental basis for the further international development of the law on space tourism, as it directly deals with space activities, so it can serve as a guide. The study also doesn’t lose sight of US law, since space tourism increase by US entities through activities with travel destination for the mass. Research shows that US has national law instrument for US enforcement in the space sphere, besides grants property rights to companies to conduct actions on own risks in space with traveler issue as well and opening it to the mass. Thus interprets the freedom enshrined in the UN space acts at its own expense. However, Outer Space Treaty is not consistent in light of the freedom issue in exploration and it interprets liberty broadly, but the interdiction narrowly. Due to that, research reaches that current space-related legislation regime would let for a space journey to develop but not in the path the text of former domestic laws proposes. Attention is also drawn to the social meaning consideration for further law implementation. This research examines the emerging role of social data in the context of highlighting the law necessary to provide properly advanced international legal acts on flights to space with tourists on a spacecraft. Since space tourism may affect international law. The findings indicate that social awareness due to geographical indicators could improve the current situation in the legal regulation of space tourism at risk of international law gap. What is now needed is a cross-national international law study involving law researchers on the space tourism issue. An implication of these findings is that both social position and space flights with traveler purpose should be taken into account when the international lawmaker community able to implement legal acts about understanding issues on entitlement and | or restriction of space activity as space journey. The unborn looking enterprises concerned with mining outer space goods are working on protracted timelines on focus with society’s modern needs. The major point of this article is the explanation of the ban on national allocation, as only being a veto on state appropriation. Under the presumption that exegesis would be a violation of the sense society needs, not states as along. In folding on their own the arrangements to dominate objects beyond the competency of any single state, the US is obtaining a step back out of the international community. This will not be an advantage for the interests of nations though. But nevertheless, the author explains this by the fact that such a national privilege is associated with the direct growth of private activity, which required regulation because at the international level there is no adoption of any specific acts in this area. In order for space tourism to open-up effect, for commercial companies necessary the potential to gain reasonable benefits and a stable legal setting [1]. Substitute option to the unilateral implementation of a legal base, and one that would sustain law confidence both domestically and internationally, is the modernization of an international regime for the stewardship of space excavation functioning as transmitted in Article 11 of the Moon Agreement. International law does not aid the unilateral provision of rights to conduct over outer space by states in an individual way, or through a private corporation and should be accordingly to interpretations of the UN Space Acts disregard the common heritage of mankind. Such would have the prospect to ensure space tourism doesn’t fairly bring individual profits, but betters of humanity. Keywords: international law, space tourism, outer of space, commercialization of space, private space flights, International Treaty.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 329-358
Author(s):  
Diego Zannoni

Abstract Although a large-scale extraction of resources from outer space does not seem feasible yet, associated legal debates are already underway. Indeed, anticipating a race for space resources, some States are taking the lead in enacting legislation regulating future exploitation by their subjects. Sales of “extraterrestrial real estate” by private entities have been taking place for decades. This article addresses the topic of exploitation of space resources from an international law perspective—regardless of whether it will be firmly on the agenda tomorrow or in thirty years’ time. The crucial issue is to establish if, and eventually how, it is possible to conciliate the two principles at stake here: freedom to use outer space and celestial bodies, which arguably includes exploitation, and the impermissibility of their appropriation. It will be pointed out that, rather than proposing a comprehensive and rigid mechanism, the Outer Space Treaty and the Moon Agreement could represent a starting point, a proactive framework for achieving consensus among States and for seeking multilateral solutions for the exploitation of space resources.


In view of the rapid and dangerous development of space activities and clandestine research, it has become increasingly difficult to identify and determine the environmental damages caused. Jurist of international law have begun to study the international responsibility resulting from such activities, which are leading to the pollution of the outer space environment. States launching space activities launching satellites, and carrying out experiments are introducing harmful substances, terrestrial bacteria, radioactive materials, and harmful space debris that is circling the earth. This highlights the legal norms of international space law in the area of international liability for damage caused by space activities in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and the 1972 Convention on Liability for Damage Caused by Space Activities.


2020 ◽  
pp. 119-127
Author(s):  
Daria Bulgakova

As space tourism related technology breakthrough, the outlook of mining activities having in space moves spacious to being a fact but it should develop in consent with international law, because the issue of space is a deal of international pointing, since space pointing as explorer zone by humanity. The significant guiding instruments in international space law in relating to space tourism industry are Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, that entered into force on 10 October 1967; Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, entered into force on 11 July 1984. These international treaties mainly condition to the states the freedom on exploration and using space, but at the same time do not consider national appropriation of it. The work also proposes European legislation that is applicable to space tourism. The main attention is given to the Treaty of Lisbon. But during the studying the author proposed the opinion that it can’t be acceptable to space tourism, since it does not directly or even indirectly indicate it. Although it may be applicable as such, due to the lack of appropriate specific acts in the field of space travel. However, this act is recommended as a fundamental basis for further international development of the law on space tourism, as it directly deals with space activities, so it can serve as a guide. The study also doesn’t lose sight of US law, since space tourism increase by US entities through activities with travel destination for the mass. Research show that US have national law instrument for US enforcement in space sphere, besides grants property rights to companies to conduct actions on own risks in space with traveler issue as well and opening it to the mass. Thus interprets the freedom enshrined in the UN space acts at its own expense. However, Outer Space Treaty is not consistent in light of the freedom issue in exploration and it interprets the liberty broadly, but the interdiction narrowly. Due to that, research reaches that current space related legislation regime would let for space journey to develop but not in the path the text of former domestic laws propose. Attention is also drawn to the social meaning consideration for further law implementation. This research examines the emerging role of social data in the context of highlighting law necessity to provide properly advanced international legal act on flights to the space with tourists on a spacecraft. Since, space tourism may affect international law. The findings indicate that social awareness due to geographical indicator could improve current situation in legal regulation of space tourism at risk of international law gap. What is now needed is a cross – national international law study involving law researchers on space tourism issue. An implication of these findings is that both social position and space flights with traveler purpose should be taken into account when international law – maker communityable to implement legal acts about understanding issues on entitlement and | or restriction of space activity as space journey. The unborn looking enterprises concerned in mining outer space a goods are working on protracted timelines on focus with society’s modern needs. The major point of this article is the explanation of the ban on national allocation, as only being a veto on state appropriation. Under the presumption that exegesis would be a violation of the sense society needs, not states as along. In folding on their own the arrangements to dominate objects beyond the competency of any single state, the US is obtaining a step back out of the international community. This will not be a advantage for the interests of nations though. But nevertheless, the author explains this by the fact that such a national privilege is associated with the direct growth of private activity, which required regulation, because at the international level there is no adoption of any specific acts in this area. In order space tourism open-up affect, for commercial companies necessary the potential to gain reasonable benefits and a stable legal setting [1]. Substitute option to the unilateral implementation of a legal base, and one that would sustain law confidence both domestically and internationally, is the modernization of an international regime for the stewardship of space excavation functioning as transmitted in Article 11 of the Moon Agreement. International law does not aid the unilateral provision of rights to conduct over outer space by states to an individual way, or through private corporation and should be accordingly to interpretations of the UN Space Acts disregard the common heritage of mankind. Such would have the prospect to ensure space tourism doesn’t fair bring individual profits, but betters of humanity.


2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-335
Author(s):  
Lawrence Li

Human space activities have grown rapidly in recent decades, but the international legal framework, comprising of the five space treaties, has largely remained unchanged since the 1980s. One of the consequences is that international responsibility and liability for space debris, which is a major hazard to space activities, have also remained uncertain for years. Nonetheless, States have responded to these problems by implementing national voluntary measures. More importantly, two major non-binding international instruments have been laid down by the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee and the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, respectively. This article argues that, in light of recent States practice established under these international instruments, and a proper interpretation of the space treaties, it has been recognised by the international community that States are obliged to mitigate the generation of space debris, a failure of which will lead to international liability.


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