Space object. The legal status of space objects

We know that human civilization has a variety of types of property and resources. All of them are ordered, and changes in themselves or in their legal status are subject to certain rules. But if it is about something that is not on the planet Earth? What laws come into force here and how do they differ from the earthly ones? Is it possible for a private person to acquire a spaceship, a site on another planet or even a whole star? Details and definitions you will learn from this article.

What is a space object

If you look at the night sky in a telescope or just with the naked eye, you can see a lot of heavenly bodies. Stars, nebulae, planets with their satellites, comets, asteroids, etc. - all this is formed and continues to form naturally. 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, missiles and other equipment.

All these natural and artificial celestial bodies are in space beyond the atmosphere of the Earth. Therefore, to each of them you can apply the concept of "space object". And all issues related to their research are regulated by international law.

Space infrastructure

Under the infrastructure in this case means a set of interrelated objects that ensure the effective functioning of the system of space exploration.

As follows from the law of the Russian Federation "On space activities", the objects of the space terrestrial infrastructure are a lot of structures and devices that perform various functions.

Among them are those that are used in the preparatory phase:

• Space technology storage base;
• Specialized vehicles, materials, components, finished products, etc .;
• Equipped training centers for cosmonauts;
• Experimental objects for testing the launching, flying, landing and other tasks.

Other objects of space infrastructure become necessary already for the direct process of organizing flights:

• Cosmodromes;
• Launchers, launching complexes and auxiliary equipment;
• Landing landfills and runways for space objects;
• Flight control centers;
• Regions of the fall of the separated parts of space objects.

Separately, objects are selected that serve to collect, store and analyze important information:

• Points of reception, storage and processing of information on flights;
• Command-measuring complexes.

Space legislation

There are a number of international and national codes of rules governing the use of outer space. These include:

• The Treaty on Outer Space (1967).
• Agreement on the rescue of astronauts and the return of objects (parts thereof) launched into outer space (1968).
• Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects (1972).
• Convention on the Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space (1975).

Who owns the apparatus and the heavenly bodies?

In addition to international laws on outer space, most states have their own. The 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, in which all information about ownership rights to different kinds of apparatus and parts thereof is entered. The registry contains information on both the equipment launched into space and the equipment not in use.

From the point of view of law, the cosmic object is everything that exists outside the limits of the atmosphere of our planet, and everything that was launched from Earth into interstellar space. Natural objects (planets, asteroids, etc.) legally belong to the whole of mankind, and man-made (satellites, aircraft) are the property of one or another power. At the same time, responsibility for how a particular space object is used lies with the state that owns it.

Who is the master of the cosmos?

Above 110 km above sea level, a zone that is considered to be a cosmic space begins and no longer belongs to any state on the planet. It is legally enshrined that every country has an equal right to take part in the study of this space.

But there are controversial situations when a particular space object during take-off (landing) is forced to pass through the airspace of another state. There are rules on this score. For example, in Russia there is a law "On space activities", on the basis of which a foreign spacecraft is allowed to a single flight through the airspace of the Russian Federation, if this was previously notified by the state authorities.

Spacecraft on par with ships and airplanes can be sold or bought by individuals and legal entities. At the same time, being inscribed in the country registry, the device can be owned by a foreign state, company or individual.

Is it possible to give a name to the heavenly body?

The universe has a huge number of stars, and only a small percentage of them have names. Therefore, it does not surprise the appearance of such a service: for a certain fee it is possible to give an anonymous heavenly body any name you like and get a confirming certificate.

But for those who want to spend their money on this, one should know that nothing in this procedure has legal force. Indeed, in fact it is engaged in the International Astronomical Union - a non-governmental scientific association, whose tasks include fixing the boundaries of all known constellations and registering space objects. Only the catalog formed by this organization can be called official and present.

Of course, there are others: for example, the star catalog of the urban observatory, as well as any other organization or individual. You can add new names to stars or asteroids, but to charge for this money is a form of fraud. Only the international scientific community can change the names of space objects.

Can I buy a site on another planet?

For example, on the Moon, Mars, or somewhere else in our solar system? Currently, there are even firms with offices around the world, offering a round sum to buy such an original property.

But this is a fiction, because such a transaction 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 none of the countries individually. Contracts for sale and purchase 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 the Earth.

What are cosmonauts rights and responsibilities?

On the spacecraft (stations, etc.), the legislation of the state applies, to which this apparatus is attributed.

All space research is conducted on the basis of international cooperation and mutual assistance.

Astronauts (astronauts), being outside the Earth, are obliged to render each other every possible help.

If a spacecraft has crashed or made a forced landing in the territory of another country, then local authorities are obliged to help the crew together with the party that launched it. Then, as soon as possible, transport cosmonauts 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 launched. She also takes care 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's satellite are categorically prohibited.

What happens if another life in the universe is discovered?

At present, such a possibility is not refuted by scientists. But it is not taken into account in the space legislation. For example, if new forms of life are discovered on one of the open planets (it does not matter, reasonable or not), then the construction of legal relations between them and earthmen is impossible. So, it is not known what to do to humanity in the event that somewhere in the cosmos there are "neighbors". There are no corresponding laws, and by default all the planets with their possible inhabitants are the property of the terrestrial community.

Planets, stars, comets, asteroids, interplanetary aircraft, satellites, orbital stations and much more - all this is included in the concept of "space object". To such natural and artificial objects special laws are adopted, both at the international level and at the level of individual states of the Earth.