Newsgroups: sci.space.policy
From: henry@spsystems.net (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: What Space Treaties Currently Exist?
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2000 15:59:03 GMT

In article <8vttd0$8ig$1@buty.wanadoo.nl>,
Hari Seldon <hseldon@hotmail.com> wrote:
>What space treaties do currently exist and have been ratified?

There are a number of them, but the biggie is the Outer Space Treaty (more
formally, the TREATY ON PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE ACTIVITIES OF STATES IN
THE EXPLORATION AND USE OF OUTER SPACE, INCLUDING THE MOON AND OTHER
CELESTIAL BODIES) of 1967.  Most of the later ones, with the notorious
exception of the moribund Moon Treaty, just fill in details.

>Are there any
>nations who did not sign or agree with these treaties? And if not, what is
>their legal position on owning celestial bodies?

I don't have numbers on hand, but the Outer Space Treaty is one of those
relatively uncontroversial things that *everybody* signs, even countries
with no space activity of their own.  I believe about the only exceptions
are countries that you'd have a hard time locating on a map.  Dunno about,
say, Bhutan, but you won't find a First World country that hasn't.
--
When failure is not an option, success  |  Henry Spencer   henry@spsystems.net
can get expensive.   -- Peter Stibrany  |      (aka henry@zoo.toronto.edu)