In addition, especially with the increased number of commercial and private space operators, countries are adopting national space laws to regulate and oversee how all national space activities are conducted in accordance with international law. These foundational principles are elaborated in a series of United Nations treaties on space law subscribed to by virtually all spacefaring countries. Since the 1957 launch of the first artificial satellite into Earth orbit ( Sputnik I), there has been clear consensus that outer space, planets and asteroids must be explored and used in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Charter. Read more : Is current space law equipped to handle a new era of shifting power structures in space? The Conversation Weekly podcast transcript Affirming the lawĪs countries and commercial space operators study how to explore and use the moon and other celestial bodies for valuable resources, we need to understand that outer space is not a lawless "Wild West." In fact, there is a clear body of fundamental legal principles that have applied to all space activities for many decades. The human costs and consequences of a conflict in space could be devastating beyond contemplation. Space systems are not just vulnerable to missiles, but may be interfered with or destroyed through other means such as lasers, spoofing, jamming and cyberattacks. This month, China launched several ballistic missiles that reached 125 miles (200 kilometers) above sea level, potentially threatening satellites that operate in low Earth orbit, which represents prime space real estate used for crucial communications and remote sensing worldwide. Space debris poses a grave danger to other functioning space objects, not to mention to people and property on the ground should pieces fall to Earth. This was a stark reminder of how vulnerable Earth operations are to events in space.ĭriven by geopolitical tensions, several governments have tested anti-satellite weapons that leave behind a trail of space debris that will remain in orbit for decades, or even centuries. In 2009, there was a communications blackout over North America after an accidental collision between a defunct Soviet satellite and Iridium communications satellite. (Image credit: (Shutterstock)) Space on Earth Financial, navigational and meteorological systems rely on satellite technologies.
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