Outer Space Treaty

Orbital Bomb. A satellite contg a nuclear warhead which circles the earth in a low orbit and which can be commanded to descend on a particular target. No such weapons are now known to be operational, and their deployment would be prohibited under the terms of the Outer Space Treaty of 1966. However, this treaty does not prohibit anything making less than a full circle around the earth, hence the FOBS... 

Like some other spectacular discoveries such as the cosmic microwave background, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) were discovered by accident. Meant to monitor the outer space treaty , the American VELA satellites detected in July 1967 an intense flash of gamma-rays of unknown origin. It took until 1973 before the first detected GRBs were published for the scientific community (Klebesadel et al. 1973). 

Outer Space Treaty 1967 98 countries parties undertake not to place in orbit around the Earth, install on the moon or any other celestial body, or otherwise station in outer space nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction. ... 

By contrast outer space is outside national territorial sovereignty as it is an international area under Article II of the Outer Space Treaty (UNOOSA, 2009b). Territorial sovereignty is unequivocally prevented in outer space by international law. Outer space is agreed internationally as public space, as Article I of the Outer Space Treaty calls it the province of all mankind . It is possible for a state to have jurisdiction over objects launched into space, for example Earth observation or communication satellites, but not jurisdiction over outer space itself Article VIII of the Outer Space Treaty confers control and jurisdiction on the state on whose registry an object is launched into outer space. 

International law prescribes a limited demilitarization of outer space and complete demilitarization of the moon and other celestial bodies. Military use of outer space is restricted by Article IV (para 1) of the Outer Space Treaty which states that ... 

OST] United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, COPUOS, January 27, 2007. 

Nuclear weapon testing in the Marshall Islands was terminated in July 1958. On 31 October 1958, the USSR, the United Kingdom and the USA suspended atmospheric nuclear weapon testing under an international moratorium. The Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water was signed in Moscow on 5 August 1963. 

Formation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), with headquarters in Vienna. Partial Test Ban Treaty bans nuclear tests in the atmosphere, in outer space, and under water. 

The Antarctic Treaty has become a model for international cooperation among nations whose objectives elsewhere in the world may conflict with those of other Treaty Nations. The diplomatic precedents established by the Antarctic Treaty are at least as important as the results of the on-going scientific research in Antarctica. Among other benefits, the Antarctic Treaty has served as a model for the Law of the Sea (Joyner 1992) and for the treaty ... Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space adopted by the United Nations in 1963 (Faure and Mensing 2007). 

A variety of on-site and remote sensor technologies can be used for verification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, with each offering unique sensing capabilities. The technologies can be used to search for nuclear explosions conducted in the atmosphere, underwater, underground, or outer space. The use of two or more sensors of different types increases the reliability of detection, and can help identify otherwise ambiguous events. 

Limited Test Ban Treaty signed by the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. Banned nuclear tests in the oceans, in the atmosphere, and in outer space. 

The need to protect space stems from the realization that space should be regarded as a hmited resource that is both useful and fragile (despite appearances). This was decided in 1958, barely a year after the first satellite launch, by the constitution of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). In particular, it was established that no one may appropriate all or part of space and everyone can explore and benefit from its resources for peaceful purposes (Treaty on principles governing the achvities of States in the exploration of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, January 27, 1967). 

This treaty, with its amendments and addihonal texts of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, specifies the responsibilities, rights and obligations of states in the matter of damage to persons and assets (see next section) due to launch activities or re-entry of artificial space objects on Earth, but also in the sharing of orbital positions and frequencies (allocated by the International Telecommunication Union) or the rescue of astronauts and finally space pollution. 

Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and Under Water (Partial Test Ban Treaty) enters into force. 

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