The Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space (commonly known as the Registration Convention) was adopted by the

United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; , AGNU or AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its Seventy-ninth session of th ...

in 1974 and went into force in 1976. As of February 2022, it has been ratified by 72 states. The convention requires states to furnish to the United Nations with details about the orbit of each space object. A registry of launchings was already being maintained by the United Nations as a result of a General Assembly Resolution in 1962. The Registration Convention and four other

space law Space law is the body of law governing space-related activities, encompassing both international and domestic agreements, rules, and principles. Parameters of space law include space exploration, liability for damage, weapons use, rescue efforts ...

treaties, including The Outer Space Treaty, The Rescue Agreement, The Liability Convention, and The Moon Agreement are administered by the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The

European Space Agency The European Space Agency (ESA) is a 23-member International organization, international organization devoted to space exploration. With its headquarters in Paris and a staff of around 2,547 people globally as of 2023, ESA was founded in 1975 ...

, European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, 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 radio fr ...

, and the Intersputnik International Organization of Space Communications have submitted declarations of acceptance of rights and obligations according to the convention.

Current status

The register is kept by the

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is an office of the U.N. Secretariat that promotes and facilitates peaceful international cooperation in outer space. It works to establish or strengthen the legal and regulatory fram ...

(UNOOSA) and includes * Name of launching State * An appropriate designator of the space object or its registration number * Date and territory or location of launch * Basic orbital parameters ( Nodal period,

Inclination Orbital inclination measures the tilt of an object's orbit around a celestial body. It is expressed as the angle between a reference plane and the orbital plane or axis of direction of the orbiting object. For a satellite orbiting the Eart ...

, Apogee and Perigee) * General function of the space object Information on registered objects is available at th
UNOOSA site

List of states parties

There are currently 72 states parties to the Convention.

Signatories that are not parties

There are three states which have signed, but not ratified, the Convention.

Organizations accepting the rights and obligations

Several

intergovernmental organization Globalization is social change associated with increased connectivity among societies and their elements and the explosive evolution of transportation and telecommunication technologies to facilitate international cultural and economic exchange. ...

s, which cannot be party to the Convention, have nonetheless notified the Secretary-General of the United Nations that they have accepted the rights and obligations of the Convention.

Proposals

A General Assembly resolution from December 2007 that was accepted by consensus recommended that the data should be extended to include: *

Coordinated Universal Time Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard globally used to regulate clocks and time. It establishes a reference for the current time, forming the basis for civil time and time zones. UTC facilitates international communicat ...

as the time reference for the date of launch; * Kilometres, minutes and degrees as the standard units for basic orbital parameters; * Any useful information relating to the function of the space object in addition to the general function requested by the Registration Convention * The

geostationary orbit A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular orbit, circular geosynchronous or ...

location, if appropriate * Any change of status in operations (e.g., when a space object is no longer functional) * The approximate date of decay or re-entry * The date and physical conditions of moving a space object to a disposal orbit * Web links to official information on space objects

Background

For many years, concern has existed surrounding the growing number of dead or inactive satellites in space. These litter the part of space near geostationary orbit and pose a major threat, as any collision would produce serious damage or loss of satellites. As of 2021, there are nearly 12,000 objects registered in the UNOOSA Online Index of Objects Launched into Outer Space.

Notes

References

External links