Who has legal jurisdiction in space?

Article VIII of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty states, “A State Party to the Treaty on whose registry an object launched into outer space is carried shall retain jurisdiction and control over such object, and over any personnel thereof, while in outer space or on a celestial body.”

Who is responsible for protecting space?

According to the 1967 Treaty, nations are responsible for the space activities of their nationals (Article IV). The Liability Convention in 1973, moreover, established an absolute liability for damages on Earth caused by space activities. Liability based on fault is authorized for damage in space (Article 11).

What do space lawyers do?

A space lawyer is a lawyer first. This means supporting governmental or commercial space activities by attending meetings and negotiations, drafting and reviewing documents and basically thinking a lot on the law and the space activity in question.

What are the two main treaties that initiated commercial spaceflight?

The legal framework for space activities is based on the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and four subsequent United Nations treaties implementing its provisions. These agreements were negotiated at a time when governments were the principal players in space and commercial space activities were in their infancy.

Can you commit crime in space?

More or less mirroring this idea, on the International Space Station, the partnered nations came up with the Intergovernmental Agreement on Space Station Cooperation, which states, in part, the nations, “may exercise criminal jurisdiction over personnel in or on any flight element who are their respective nationals.”

Can you be prosecuted for murder in space?

Yes. The spacecraft you rode into orbit falls under the jurisdiction of its manufacturer’s country. Murder someone, and you will be prosecuted just as surely as if you killed someone on a boat. If you kill someone from another country, you will probably be extradited and, again, tried for murder.

How much do NASA lawyers make?

NASA General Counsel Salary NASA General Counsels earn $130,000 annually, or $63 per hour, which is 1\% lower than the national average for all General Counsels at $131,000 annually and 65\% higher than the national salary average for ​all working Americans.

What are the 5 space treaties?

These five treaties deal with issues such as the non-appropriation of outer space by any one country, arms control, the freedom of exploration, liability for damage caused by space objects, the safety and rescue of spacecraft and astronauts, the prevention of harmful interference with space activities and the …

What laws are followed in space?

Space is governed by five key international treaties, known informally as the Outer Space Treaty, the Rescue Agreement, the Liability Convention, the Registration Convention, and the Moon Agreement (their formal names are much, much longer).