All nations gain from activity on the space station, and space exploration is available to all nations without cost. However, no country can solely enjoy space, the moon, or any other celestial body. Moreover, no one can claim sufficient dominion over it. For instance, it is forbidden to use weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in orbit or beyond orbit, and only peaceful uses are allowed for the moon, planets, and other celestial bodies.
Any nation’s astronauts are “ambassadors of humanity,” and signatories are obligated to aid them in any way they can, including making emergency landings abroad or at sea.
Countries commit to playing a responsible role in all of their space activities, including private commercial ones, and are required to give permission and maintain monitoring. States must stop contaminating space, celestial bodies, etc. and take responsibility for any harm their spacecraft produces.
Space salvage agreement (Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts, and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space)
The signatories agreed to take all possible action to assist or rescue astronauts in need and, where applicable, to return them to the country from which they were launched. In addition, signatories must agree to help return any space object that lands on Earth in a country other than the one that launched it.
Moon protocol (Agreement of States on the Activities of the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies)
The agreement states that celestial bodies should only be used for peaceful purposes, that they should not be contaminated by them, that the United Nations should always be aware of any space stations on non-Earth celestial bodies, and that if exploitation of resources As soon as it becomes feasible for us to be on the moon, an international regime must be established to limit our access to and use of these resources. The United States is not a signatory to the Moon Accord.
Liability convention(Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects)
Each signatory state shall be liable for any damage caused by its space object and agree to standard procedures for adjudicating damage claims.
Registration convention (Convention on the Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space)
The Convention expanded the Register of Space Objects by empowering the Secretary-General of the United Nations to maintain the register of all space objects (Editorial Team, 1967).
In conclusion, space law is the body of law that regulates objects and activities outside the Earth’s atmosphere. Initially, a subset of public international law appeared, but it mostly consisted of treaties and other soft legal instruments governing the conduct of state actors (Editorial Team, 1967).
References
Editorial Team, S.F. (1967). International Space Law. [online] Space Foundation. Available at: https://www.spacefoundation.org/space_brief/international-space-law/#:~:text=The%20Outer%20Space%20Treaty [Accessed 20 March 2023].
Editorial Team, S.F. (1967). International Space Law. [online] Space Foundation. Available at: https://www.spacefoundation.org/space_brief/international-space-law/#:~:text=The%20Outer%20Space%20Treaty [Accessed 20 March 2023].
