Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects

Abstract

AbstractFor obvious reasons, space activities are generally classed as ultra-hazardous endeavours, i.e. they are inherently dangerous, not only for the various vehicles leaving the Earth atmosphere, but also the cargo such vehicles carry, be it human or otherwise. Additionally, space activities generate environmental risks in outer space that can, at times, impact the Earth as what goes up, must inevitably come down. The hazards of spaceflight come from multiple sources, including, but not limited to, the technology used (e.g. nuclear power sources) and the hostile nature of outer space which is difficult to reach, difficult to survive in and difficult to return from. This inherent danger has been tragically highlighted not only by the shuttle disasters involving Challenger (1986) and Columbia (2003) but also by the vast field of radioactive debris left in Canada after the uncontrolled re-entry of the Soviet satellite Cosmos 954 in 1977. The latter accident exemplifies that ultra-hazardous activities require liability rules because when something goes wrong, the consequences can be significant for any injured parties.