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The Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, also known as the Space Liability Convention, is a
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs: Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects
{{Politics of outer space Liability treaties Space treaties Space law Treaties concluded in 1972 Treaties entered into force in 1972 Treaties of Algeria Treaties of Antigua and Barbuda Treaties of Argentina Treaties of Australia Treaties of Austria Treaties of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic Treaties of Belgium Treaties of Bosnia and Herzegovina Treaties of Botswana Treaties of the military dictatorship in Brazil Treaties of the People's Republic of Bulgaria Treaties of Canada Treaties of Chile Treaties of the People's Republic of China Treaties of Cuba Treaties of Cyprus Treaties of the Czech Republic Treaties of Czechoslovakia Treaties of Denmark Treaties of Ecuador Treaties of Fiji Treaties of Finland Treaties of France Treaties of Gabon Treaties of West Germany Treaties of East Germany Treaties of the Kingdom of Greece Treaties of the Hungarian People's Republic Treaties of India Treaties of Indonesia Treaties of Pahlavi Iran Treaties of Ba'athist Iraq Treaties of Ireland Treaties of Israel Treaties of Italy Treaties of Japan Treaties of Kazakhstan Treaties of Kuwait Treaties of the Kingdom of Laos Treaties of Lebanon Treaties of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Treaties of Mexico Treaties of the Mongolian People's Republic Treaties of Montenegro Treaties of Morocco Treaties of the Netherlands Treaties of New Zealand Treaties of Niger Treaties of Nigeria Treaties of Norway Treaties of Pakistan Treaties of Papua New Guinea Treaties of Peru Treaties of the Polish People's Republic Treaties of Qatar Treaties of South Korea Treaties of the Socialist Republic of Romania Treaties of the Soviet Union Treaties of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Treaties of Serbia and Montenegro Treaties of Seychelles Treaties of Singapore Treaties of Slovakia Treaties of Slovenia Treaties of South Africa Treaties of Francoist Spain Treaties of Sri Lanka Treaties of Sweden Treaties of Switzerland Treaties of Syria Treaties of Tunisia Treaties of Turkey Treaties of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic Treaties of the United Kingdom Treaties of the United States Treaties of Uruguay Treaties of Yugoslavia Treaties of Zambia Treaties of Benin Treaties of the Dominican Republic Treaties of Liechtenstein Treaties of Luxembourg Treaties of Mali Treaties of Malta Treaties of Panama Treaties of Saudi Arabia Treaties of Senegal Treaties of Togo Treaties of Trinidad and Tobago Treaties of the United Arab Emirates Treaties of Venezuela Treaties of Kenya Treaties extended to Greenland Treaties extended to the Faroe Islands Treaties extended to Aruba Treaties extended to the Netherlands Antilles Treaties extended to Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla Treaties extended to British Antigua and Barbuda Treaties extended to Bermuda Treaties extended to the British Virgin Islands Treaties extended to Brunei (protectorate) Treaties extended to the Cayman Islands Treaties extended to British Dominica Treaties extended to the Falkland Islands Treaties extended to Gibraltar Treaties extended to British Grenada Treaties extended to British Hong Kong Treaties extended to Montserrat Treaties extended to the Pitcairn Islands Treaties extended to Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Treaties extended to British Saint Lucia Treaties extended to British Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Treaties extended to the British Solomon Islands Treaties extended to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Treaties extended to the Turks and Caicos Islands
The Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, also known as the Space Liability Convention, is a treaty
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal per ...
from 1972 that expands on the liability rules created in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. In 1978, the crash of the nuclear-power
Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced b ...
ed Soviet satellite
A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioiso ...
Kosmos 954
Kosmos 954 (russian: Космос 954) was a reconnaissance satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1977. A malfunction prevented safe separation of its onboard nuclear reactor; when the satellite reentered the Earth's atmosphere the follow ...
in Canadian territory led to the only claim filed under the convention.
Status
The Liability Convention was concluded and opened for signature on 29 March 1972. It entered into force on 1 September 1972. As of 1 January 2021, 98 States have ratified the Liability Convention, 19 have signed but not ratified and four international intergovernmental organizations (theEuropean Space Agency
, owners =
, headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France
, coordinates =
, spaceport = Guiana Space Centre
, seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png
, seal_size = 130px
, image = Views in the Main Control Room (120 ...
, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites
The European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) is an intergovernmental organisation created through an international convention agreed by a current total of 30 European Member States.
EUMETSAT's prima ...
, the Intersputnik International Organization of Space Communications, and the European Telecommunications Satellite Organization
The European Telecommunications Satellite Organization (EUTELSAT IGO) is an intergovernmental organisation consisting of 49 member states. It is headquartered in Paris, France. The mission of EUTELSAT IGO is to maintain the rights to use rad ...
) have declared their acceptance of the rights and obligations provided for in the Agreement.
Key provisions
States (countries) bear international responsibility for all space objects that are launched within their territory. This means that regardless of who launches the space object, if it was launched from State A's territory, or from State A's facility, or if State A caused the launch to happen, then State A is fully liable for damages that result from that space object.Joint launches
If two states work together to launch a space object, then both of those states are jointly and severally liable for the damage that object causes. This means that the injured party can sue either of the two states for the full amount of damage.Claims between states only
Claims under the Liability Convention must be brought by the state against a state. The convention was created to supplement existing and future national laws providing compensation to parties injured by space activities. Whereas under most national legal systems an individual or a corporation may bring a lawsuit against another individual or another corporation, under the Liability Convention claims must be brought on the state level only. This means that if an individual is injured by a space object and wishes to seek compensation under the Liability Convention, the individual must arrange for his or her country to make a claim against the country that launched the space object that caused the damage.See also
* USA-193 *Kosmos 954
Kosmos 954 (russian: Космос 954) was a reconnaissance satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1977. A malfunction prevented safe separation of its onboard nuclear reactor; when the satellite reentered the Earth's atmosphere the follow ...
* Skylab
Skylab was the first United States space station, launched by NASA, occupied for about 24 weeks between May 1973 and February 1974. It was operated by three separate three-astronaut crews: Skylab 2, Skylab 3, and Skylab 4. Major operations ...
* Space law
* Outer Space Treaty
* Moon Treaty
* Rescue Agreement
* Space debris
Space debris (also known as space junk, space pollution, space waste, space trash, or space garbage) are defunct human-made objects in space—principally in Earth orbit—which no longer serve a useful function. These include derelict spacec ...
References
External links
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs: Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects
{{Politics of outer space Liability treaties Space treaties Space law Treaties concluded in 1972 Treaties entered into force in 1972 Treaties of Algeria Treaties of Antigua and Barbuda Treaties of Argentina Treaties of Australia Treaties of Austria Treaties of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic Treaties of Belgium Treaties of Bosnia and Herzegovina Treaties of Botswana Treaties of the military dictatorship in Brazil Treaties of the People's Republic of Bulgaria Treaties of Canada Treaties of Chile Treaties of the People's Republic of China Treaties of Cuba Treaties of Cyprus Treaties of the Czech Republic Treaties of Czechoslovakia Treaties of Denmark Treaties of Ecuador Treaties of Fiji Treaties of Finland Treaties of France Treaties of Gabon Treaties of West Germany Treaties of East Germany Treaties of the Kingdom of Greece Treaties of the Hungarian People's Republic Treaties of India Treaties of Indonesia Treaties of Pahlavi Iran Treaties of Ba'athist Iraq Treaties of Ireland Treaties of Israel Treaties of Italy Treaties of Japan Treaties of Kazakhstan Treaties of Kuwait Treaties of the Kingdom of Laos Treaties of Lebanon Treaties of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Treaties of Mexico Treaties of the Mongolian People's Republic Treaties of Montenegro Treaties of Morocco Treaties of the Netherlands Treaties of New Zealand Treaties of Niger Treaties of Nigeria Treaties of Norway Treaties of Pakistan Treaties of Papua New Guinea Treaties of Peru Treaties of the Polish People's Republic Treaties of Qatar Treaties of South Korea Treaties of the Socialist Republic of Romania Treaties of the Soviet Union Treaties of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Treaties of Serbia and Montenegro Treaties of Seychelles Treaties of Singapore Treaties of Slovakia Treaties of Slovenia Treaties of South Africa Treaties of Francoist Spain Treaties of Sri Lanka Treaties of Sweden Treaties of Switzerland Treaties of Syria Treaties of Tunisia Treaties of Turkey Treaties of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic Treaties of the United Kingdom Treaties of the United States Treaties of Uruguay Treaties of Yugoslavia Treaties of Zambia Treaties of Benin Treaties of the Dominican Republic Treaties of Liechtenstein Treaties of Luxembourg Treaties of Mali Treaties of Malta Treaties of Panama Treaties of Saudi Arabia Treaties of Senegal Treaties of Togo Treaties of Trinidad and Tobago Treaties of the United Arab Emirates Treaties of Venezuela Treaties of Kenya Treaties extended to Greenland Treaties extended to the Faroe Islands Treaties extended to Aruba Treaties extended to the Netherlands Antilles Treaties extended to Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla Treaties extended to British Antigua and Barbuda Treaties extended to Bermuda Treaties extended to the British Virgin Islands Treaties extended to Brunei (protectorate) Treaties extended to the Cayman Islands Treaties extended to British Dominica Treaties extended to the Falkland Islands Treaties extended to Gibraltar Treaties extended to British Grenada Treaties extended to British Hong Kong Treaties extended to Montserrat Treaties extended to the Pitcairn Islands Treaties extended to Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Treaties extended to British Saint Lucia Treaties extended to British Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Treaties extended to the British Solomon Islands Treaties extended to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Treaties extended to the Turks and Caicos Islands