In this article, we will be discussing the United States space laws, and how each country exercises their sovereignty in space and an interesting information on how you can buy a land on the moon!
Space law is the body of law governing space-related activities, encompassing both international and domestic agreements, rules, and principles.[1] Parameters of space law include space exploration, liability for damage, weapons use, rescue efforts, environmental preservation, information sharing, new technologies, and ethics.[2] Other fields of law, such as administrative law, intellectual property law, arms control law, insurance law, environmental law, criminal law, and commercial law, are also integrated within space law. [3] The origins of space law date back to 1919, with international law recognizing each country’s sovereignty over the airspace directly above their territory, later reinforced at the Chicago Convention in 1944.[4] Most space laws originated after the famous Chicago Convention took place, and countries co-operated together in discussing on international air travel regulations.
“The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) was established in 1958, given the developments that have been made in the USA and the USSR in the space sector. UNOOSA works with all the 193 members of the UN to make sure there is a peaceful exchange of affairs amongst different countries relating to space. The establishment of the body is also necessary because of the concerns of developing countries. Many developed countries are of the view that space exploration and space materials can be of economic help to themselves, and that these resources must be distributed equally by the developed countries so that all countries in the world are on the same path. Toward the beginning of the 21st century, UNOOSA embraced a few activities and projects to satisfy its command of advancing far and wide and tranquil international association in space.”[5]
List of United States Space Laws:
- Communications Act of 1934: “The Communications Act of 1934 combined and organized federal regulation of telephone, telegraph, and radio communications. The Act created the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to oversee and regulate these industries. The Act is updated periodically to add provisions governing new communications technologies, such as broadcast, cable and satellite television.”[6]
- National Aeronautics & Space Act of 1958: On April 2, 1958, in a letter to Congress President Eisenhower called for the creation of a civilian National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA), based on the existing NACA, to oversee the U.S. space program.[7] The Act provides for research into problems of flight within and outside the earth’s atmosphere, and for other purposes.[8]
- The Commercial Space Launch Act: The Act recognized the United States private sector as having the capability to develop commercial launch vehicles, orbital satellites and operate private launch sites and services.[9] The Act also assigned the duties of overseeing and coordinating commercial launches, issuing of licenses and permits, and promoting of safety standards to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation.[10]
- Land Remote-Sensing Commercialization Act: The Act establishes a system to promote the use of land remote-sensing satellite data and provide for the phased – commercialization of land remote-sensing, to establish a clear framework of national security and international policy requirements within which private remote-sensing space systems operate, and for other purposes.[11]
- Land Remote-Sensing Policy Act: “The Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 (PL 102-555)1 repealed the Land Remote-Sensing Commercialization Act of 1984 and established the function of the National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive at the Department of Interior’s United States Geological Survey (USGS). Nearly thirty years later, the 1992 statute remains in place although there have been significant technological advancements across the disciplines associated with remote sensing for Earth observation.”[12]
- S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015: “On November 25, 2015, President Obama signed into law the US Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act(H.R. 2262). This Act encompasses four titles: I. Spurring Private Aerospace Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship (acronym: SPACE), II. Commercial Remote Sensing, III. Office of Space Commerce and IV. Space Resource Exploration and Utilization.”[13]
- Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017: “The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-25), often referred to as “The Weather Act”) was signed into law in April 2017, with goals to improve NOAA’s weather research through investments in observational, computing, and modeling capabilities, to support improvement in weather forecasting and prediction of high impact weather events, and expand commercial opportunities for the provision of weather data.”[14]
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration Transition Authorization Act of 2017: “NASA authorization focused on long-term deep space human exploration, investments in science, technology, and aeronautics portfolios, and growing the commercial space sector. The law emphasizes maintaining NASA’s continuity of purpose across presidential administrations, and it also includes the TREAT Astronauts Act, which ensures medical treatment for astronauts whose health is affected by space missions.”[15]
- National Defense Authorization Act of 2020: “Establishes the U.S. Space Force within the U.S. Air Force. The act identifies the new military service’s mission set, composition, general duties and chain of command.”[16]
- CFR Title 14, Chapter III: “The FAA’s regulations on commercial spaceflight cover the “authorization and supervision” of any U.S. organization or citizen conducting space endeavours. It requires commercial missions to receive a license to launch (and re-enter), and it also requires licenses for commercial spaceports. It does not apply to government agencies, like NASA.”[17]
Did You Know?
Where India is making a great space contrinutions by sending its Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L1 to study the sun now! “Rupesh Masson is a 49-year-old businessman from Jammu and Kashmir has purchased land on “Luna Earths Moon, Tract 55-Parcel 10772 known as Lacus Felicitatis (Lake of Happiness).” This lunar property was purchased from The Lunar Registry in New York City and was officially certified on August 25, according to Masson. He also noted that approximately 675 celebrities and three former US presidents also own extraterrestrial land on the Moon and other planets.”[18] The Lunar Society has members in every country around the world and all the property prices are stated in US$ per acre based on current exchange rates.[19] “Membership in the Luna Society includes a permanent land claim to property on the Moon. If you join the membership for one year, you will receive one acre and if you join for five years you will receive five acres. After you buy land on the moon you will also get your personalized lunar property claim and the ownership package will include a beautifully engraved deed, a satellite photograph of the property, and an information sheet with detailed geography of the selected region.”[20]
[1] "What Is Space Law?". Legal Career Path. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. [2] "Space Law". United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. [3] Gabrynowicz, Joanne Irene (2004). "Space law: Its Cold War origins and challenges in the era of globalization". Suffolk University Law Review. 37: 1041. [4] Finch, Michael J. (1986). "Limited Space: Allocating the Geostationary Orbit". Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business. 7 (4): 788–802. [5] Space laws in the US, the UK and India - iPleaders [6] The Communications Act of 1934 | Bureau of Justice Assistance (ojp.gov) [7] The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 Creates NASA | NASA [8] National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (Unamended) (nasa.gov) [9] Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984 - Wikipedia [10] "Chapter 509 — Commercial Space Launch Activities". United States Code ~ Office of the Law Revision Counsel. U.S. House of Representatives. [11] 1984 Land Remote Sensing Commercialization Act Report.pdf (amazonaws.com) [12] Revisiting the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992, A Report of National Geospatial Advisory Committee, Landsat Advisory Group, April 2021, retrieved from: Revisiting the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 (fgdc.gov) [13] The US Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015 - JURIST - Commentary - Legal News & Commentary [14] The Weather Act - NOAA Weather Program Office [15] U.S. Space Law - Space Foundation | www.spacefoundation.org [16] Ibid. [17] U.S. Space Regulations - Space Foundation | www.spacefoundation.org [18] Indian man buys land on Moon. Here's how you can also own a piece of the celestial body - Trending News (wionews.com) [19] How to Buy a Property on the Moon? – SY Blog (squareyards.com) [20] Ibid.
