.....international law.
Some fifty years ago the human civilization created artificial moons and celestial bodies moving on their orbits by the laws of celestial mechanics. At a time when here below human society has been organized in the traditional system of state sovereignties divided by grave antagonisms, rivalries between great powers.
Space exploration, however, is a global activity. Its effect cannot be restricted to one nation or group of nations. Space law is a compromise. It attempts to squeeze rules of space activity into the conventional framework of international society based on state sovereignty. This involves the impact of space on the legal order of the international community: to accept mankind as subject of human activities in outer space.
First steps were made in the system of basic space law treaties:
- The exploration and use of outer space … shall be the province of all mankind. (Space Treaty 1967, Article I.1)
- States to the Treaty shall regard astronauts as envoys of mankind in outer space and shall render them all possible assistance. (S.T. Article V.1)
- The Moon and its natural resources are the common heritage of mankind. (Moon Agreement 1979, Article XI.1)
Mankind – this giant crew on board International Space Station Earth – is today no subject of international law. Space activities most probably will give impetus to a for the time being utopist intention to give to the mankind the right place above states in a radically new structure of international community.
Dr.
Gyula
Gál
Assistant Professor of the International Institute at the Péter Pázmány Catholic University of Budapest
IAA, IISL
Professional Category:
Legal
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