Outer Space Treaty 1967
Also called: OST · Topic: India's External Relations, 1947-1999: Non-alignment, Wars and Nuclear Policy · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Outer Space Treaty 1967 (OST) is the main UN treaty on space. Its rules are simple. Every country is free to explore and use outer space. No country can claim the Moon, a planet or any part of space as its own territory, which the treaty calls "national appropriation". No country may put nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit. Each state is responsible for its own space activities, including those of its private companies. This last rule is why national space laws matter: a government must license and supervise the private firms that operate from its territory.
Example
Under UN space treaties, India must answer for any damage caused by Indian space objects, including those of private startups. The government said in 2018 that it would meet this duty through a Space Activities Bill that licenses private space activity. The Bill is still not law. That leaves an open question about who pays if a private debris-removal robot damages something in orbit.
Don't confuse with
- Liability Convention: a later UN treaty that sets out who must pay compensation for damage caused by space objects. The OST lays down the broad principle that states are responsible for their space activities.
- UN COPUOS debris guidelines: voluntary "soft law" rules on cutting down space debris. Countries are not legally bound by them. The OST is a binding treaty.