July 2021
A shared vision for space exploration
... International Astronautical Congress on 13 October 2020. Commitments We could not simply hand mission planners a copy of the Outer Space Treaty (OST) and say “follow this” Although the Artemis Accords have been criticised by some commentators and...
June 2019
The challenge of planetary protection
...for extraterrestrial life It is important to understand the legal and policy background. Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty (OST) of 1967 addresses the avoidance of harmful contamination of celestial bodies (forward contamination) and the avoidance...
October 2020
Morality, rights and responsibilities in space
... This Declaration adopts the basic precedents of such documents as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Outer Space Treaty and other applicable historic credos, while articulating the new reality of an open frontier that is owned by no one...
June 2015
The new space ethics: COSPAR, Planetary Protection and beyond
... Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies know colloquially as The Outer Space Treaty (OST)23 has been widely ratified by nations24 and is recognised as providing...
November 2017
Preserving Apollo’s lunar legacy
... be submitted for inclusion in the World Heritage List. And it relies on the concept of sovereignty, anathema to the Outer Space Treaty. State Parties to the Convention are instructed to submit properties within their territory. But the Moon is the...
July 2020
Pandemic in space – are we ready?
... as a “reference standard for spacefaring nations in guiding compliance with Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty”. Under a later space law treaty, the Rescue and Return Agreement, States are obliged to share information on “conditions of distress...
