We know that human civilization has a variety of assets and resources. All of them are ordered, and changes in themselves or in their legal status are subject to certain rules. But if we are talking about something that is not on the planet Earth? What laws come into force here and how do they differ from earthly ones? Is it possible for a private individual to purchase a spaceship, land on another planet, or even an entire star? See this article for details and definitions.
What is a space object
If you look at the night sky through a telescope or just with the naked eye, you can see a lot of celestial bodies. Stars, nebulae, planets with their satellites, comets, asteroids, etc. - all this is formed and continues to form in a natural way. There are also objects that were created by man and launched into space for scientific purposes. These are space stations, ships, installations, shuttles, satellites, probes, rockets and other equipment.
All these natural and artificial celestial bodiesare in space outside the Earth's atmosphere. Therefore, the concept of "space object" can be applied to each of them. And all matters relating to their research are governed by international law.
Space infrastructure
Infrastructure in this case means a complex of interconnected objects that ensure the effective functioning of the space research system.
As follows from the law of the Russian Federation "On space activities", objects of space ground infrastructure are a set of structures and devices that perform various functions.
Among them are those that are used at the preparatory stage:
- space technology storage bases;
- specialized vehicles, materials, components, finished products, etc.;
- equipped cosmonaut training centers;
- experimental objects for practicing launch, flight, landing and other tasks.
Other objects of space infrastructure become necessary already for the direct process of organizing flights:
- cosmodromes;
- launchers, launch complexes and support equipment;
- landing areas and runways for space objects;
- mission control centers;
- areas of fall of separating parts of space objects.
Separately allocated objects that are used to collect, save and analyzeimportant information:
- points for receiving, storing and processing flight information;
- command-measuring systems.
Space legislation
There are a number of international and national codes of practice governing the use of space. These include:
- Space Treaty (1967).
- Agreement on the rescue of astronauts and the return of objects (their parts) launched into outer space (1968).
- Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects (1972).
- Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space (1975).
Who owns spacecraft and celestial bodies?
In addition to international space laws, most states have adopted their own. State registration of space objects in our country is carried out in the manner determined by the government of the Russian Federation. For these purposes, there is a Unified State Register, which contains all information about the ownership of various types of devices and their parts. The registry contains information about both launched into space and equipment that is not in use.
From the point of view of the law, a cosmic object is everything that exists outside the atmosphere of our planet, and everything that was launched from Earth into interstellar space. Natural objects (planets, asteroids, etc.) legally belong to all mankind, and man-made (satellites, aircraft)are the property of one state or another. At the same time, the responsibility for how this or that space object is used lies with the state that owns it.
Who is the master of space?
Beyond 110 km above sea level, a zone begins, which is considered outer space and no longer belongs to any state on the planet. It is legislated that each country has an equal right to take part in the study of this space.
But controversial situations arise when one or another space object during takeoff (landing) is forced to pass through the airspace of another state. There are rules for this. For example, in Russia there is a law "On space activities", on the basis of which a foreign spacecraft is allowed to fly through the airspace of the Russian Federation once, if the state authorities were warned about this in advance.
Space aircraft along with ships and aircraft can be sold or bought by individuals and legal entities. At the same time, being entered in the register of the country, the device may be owned by a foreign state, company or individual.
Can a heavenly body be named?
The universe has a huge number of stars, and only a small percentage of them have names. Therefore, the appearance of such a service is not surprising: for a certain fee, you can give any name you like to an unnamed celestial body and get a confirmationcertificate.
But for those who want to spend their money on this, you should know that nothing in this procedure is legally binding. Indeed, in fact, it is the International Astronomical Union, a non-state scientific association, whose tasks include fixing the boundaries of all known constellations and registering space objects. Only the directory formed by this organization can be called official and real.
Of course, there are others: for example, the star catalog of the city observatory, as well as any other organization or individual. You can enter new names of stars or asteroids there, but charging money for this is a form of fraud. Only the international scientific community can change the names of space objects.
Can I buy land on another planet?
For example, on the Moon, Mars or somewhere else in our solar system? Currently, there are even firms with representative offices around the world offering to purchase such original real estate for a round sum.
But this is a sham, because such a deal is invalid from a legal point of view. After all, the legal status of space objects is such that they belong to the entire population of the Earth, but not to any of the countries in particular. And contracts of sale can be concluded only on the basis of state law. So, there is no law - there is no opportunity to acquire a piece of another planet, except for the Earth.
What are the rights and obligations of astronauts?
The spacecraft (stations, etc.) are subject to the laws of the state to which this device is assigned.
All space exploration is carried out on the basis of international cooperation and mutual assistance.
Astronauts (astronauts), being outside the Earth, are obliged to provide each other with all possible assistance.
If a spacecraft crashed or made an emergency landing on the territory of another country, then the local authorities are obliged to help the crew together with the party that launched it. Then, as soon as possible, transport the astronauts along with the ship to the territory of the state in whose registry it is located. The same applies to individual parts of the aircraft - they must be returned to the party that carried out the launch. She also bears the costs of the search.
The moon is used by all countries only for peaceful research purposes. The deployment of military bases and any militaristic activities (exercises, tests) on the Earth satellite are strictly prohibited.
What happens if another life is discovered in the universe?
Currently, this possibility is not refuted by scientists. But it is not taken into account in the space legislation. For example, if new forms of life (whether they are intelligent or not) are discovered on one of the discovered planets, then the construction of legal relations between them and earthlings turns out to be impossible. This means that it is not known what to do to humanity in the event that somewhere else in"neighbors" will be found in space. There are no relevant laws, and by default all planets with their possible inhabitants are the property of the earth community.
Planets, stars, comets, asteroids, interplanetary aircraft, satellites, orbital stations and much more - all this is included in the concept of "space object". Such natural and artificial objects are subject to special laws adopted both at the international level and at the level of individual states of the Earth.
