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Space debris: ex facto sequitur lex

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2009

Tanja L. Zwaan
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Extract

Unfortunately, today's exploration of outer space is exposed to a rapidly expanding collection of what has come to be called space debris. Innumerous objects of variable size ranging from tiny paint chips to entire - defunct - satellites and produced by various causes, such as collisions, explosions, or simply exhaustion of fuel, are rotating around the Earth and create dangers to our space missions.

Type
Current Legal Developments
Information
Leiden Journal of International Law , Volume 1 , Issue 1 , May 1988 , pp. 89 - 96
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation of the Leiden Journal of International Law 1988

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References

1. Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, 27 January 1967,610 UNTS 205 (hereinafter the Space Treaty); Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space, 22 April 1968,672 UNTS 119 (hereinafter the Rescue Agreement); Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, 29 March 1972, UNGA Res. 2777 (XXVI) Annex, of 29 November 1971 (hereinafter the Liability Convention); Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space, 14 January 1975, XIV ILM 43 (hereinafter the Registration Convention); Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, 5 December 1979, XVIII ILM 1434 (hereinafter the Moon Agreement).

2. See infra para. 3.

3. Already in 1983, Professor Karl-Heinz, Böckstiegel stated (during a lecture at the United Nations in New York): “The most important area of space law in my view will be for space lawyers to find adequate and effective rules for the protection of space environment (...) Space environmental law will have to deal with two major risks: space debris and space pollution”, cited by Vitt, Die Gefahren der Weltraumtrilmmer – Neue Entwicklungen und Erkenntnisse (The Dangers of Space Debris - New Developments and Apprehensions),36 Z.L.W. 3, at 249 (1987). Even the Report of the National Commission on Space, Pioneering the Space Frontier recognises that “all spacefaring nations should adopt preventive measures to minimise the introduction of new uncontrolled and long-lived debris into orbit (…). The increasing hazard of space debris must be halted and reversed”, at 117.Google Scholar

4. Deliberate explosions are conducted, e.g., to test Anti-Satellite weapons in outer space.

5. Cf. DeMeis, Cleaning up our Space Act, 25 Aerospace America 10,11 (February 1987).

6. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is the major tracking organisation.Nevertheless, its capabilities are limited: to be identified, objects orbiting at 400 km must have a diameter of about 5 cm, and objects at 1000 km must be at least 10 cm in diameter to be seen! Cf. Reibel, Prevention of Orbital Debris, 30th International Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, IISL, Brighton, October 1987 (hereinafter IISL Colloquium, 1987).

7. Schwetje, , Current US Initiatives to Control Space Debris, IISL Colloquium 1987.Google Scholar

8. Cf. the phenomenon “what goes up must come down”, Pioneering the Space Frontier, supra note 3, at 117. The atmosphere is of influence until 800–900 km above the Earth's surface.

9. Id. Most pieces of debris are situated between 500 and 1500 km above the Earth's surface. Cf. Vitt, Auf Kollisionskurs im All; die Gefahren der Weltraumtrümmer (Collisions in Space; the Dangers of Space Debris) 35 ZJL.W. I, at31,33 (1986).

10. Moon Agreement, supra note 1, Art. 7 (1).

11. Liability Convention, supra, note 1, Arts. II and in respectiv

12. See on the discussion of the definition of “space object” and of “debris” in general: Diederiks-Verschoor, Legal Aspects of Environmental Protection in Outer Space Regarding Debris, IISL Colloquium 1987.

13. Müller, , The Scope of Validity and Effectiveness ofEnvironment-Related Norms in Outer Space Law, to appear in The Future Of Outer Space Law (to be published in 1988 under the auspices of the International Institute of Outer Space Law at Leiden University).Google Scholar

14. Registration Convention, supra note 1, Art. II.

15. The Space Treaty stipulates in its Art VII that the launching State is internationally liable; this provision was elaborated in the Liability Convention.

16. Registration Convention, supra note 1, Art. 11,(2).

17. Liability Convention, supra note 1, Art. V(l).

18. id.. Art. V(2).

19. Registration Convention, supra note 1, Art. IV (1) and (3) respectively.

20. Cf. Schwetje, supra note 7.

21. See on these solutions, a.o., Diederiks-Verschoor, supra, note 12; Reibel, supra, note 6; Vitt, supra, note 9, at 41; Schwetje, supra note 7 and Gorove, Man-made Space Debris: Data Needed for Rational Decision, IISL Colloquium 1987.

22. See on these solutions, a.o., Vitt, supra note 9, at 39–40 and Reibel, supra note 6.

23. See my article The Influence of the Achievements and Failures of the Past on the Future of Outer Space Law to appear in The Future Of Outer Space Law, supra note 13. See also Ospina, Outer Space: ‘Common Heritage’ or ‘Common Junkyard’ of Mankind?, IISL COLLOQUIM 1987.

24. Ospina, supra note 23.

25. Gorove, supra note 21.