Space law - Uchuuhou (English spelling) space law

Japanese: 宇宙法 - うちゅうほう（英語表記）space law

This law governs outer space, celestial bodies, and human space activities. In a broad sense, it is the same as international space law. It was born with space development and is currently in the process of being developed. Its sources of law are various space-related treaties and general international customary law. Space law covers issues such as the legal status of outer space, celestial bodies, spacecraft and space stations, rules for space activities, regulations on celestial body resources and development, and conservation of the space environment, as well as individual legal regulations in various fields of space activities and international cooperation and its organization. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty was the first written law to stipulate the basic matters on these issues, and is the basic law of space.

[Ikeda Fumio]

Current status of space law development

The United Nations has made a major contribution to the development of space law, and the UN has continued to draft legislation, leading to the establishment of various treaties, agreements, and legal principles, including the Outer Space Treaty.

As the actual aspects of space development have shifted from early exploration purposes to practical and commercial purposes, space law has also moved from the initial stage of establishing basic laws to a second stage focusing on the order and user organizations of space utilization. First, three treaties and agreements were concluded that directly relate to the provisions of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which was a general basic law. Then, in addition to the Moon Agreement, a group of treaties and agreements were created that mainly cover the order of space utilization, including UN resolutions such as the Direct Broadcast Satellite Principles, Remote Sensing Principles, and Nuclear Satellite Principles. Alongside these, agreements were concluded to establish various user organizations, and in 1988 the Space Station Cooperation Agreement was concluded to build and operate a space station.

[Ikeda Fumio]

Supplementary Agreement to the Outer Space Treaty

(1) Space Rescue and Return Agreement: This agreement stipulates the details of the rescue and return of astronauts and the recovery and return of space objects, and came into force in 1968. When a spacecraft crew member is in distress, the parties to the treaty will notify the launching country, etc., and if the spacecraft makes an emergency landing within the territory of a party, the party will take all possible rescue measures, and if the spacecraft makes an emergency landing outside the territory of a party, the party will assist in search and rescue operations. Rescued crew members will be returned to their home country, and space launched objects will be recovered and returned. International intergovernmental organizations are recognized as having the rights and obligations under this agreement under certain conditions.

(2) Space Liability Treaty: This treaty stipulates compensation for damage caused by space objects, and came into force in 1972. The launching state is liable without fault for damage caused on the ground by a space object, and for damage to aircraft in flight. It severely restricts the grounds for exemption from liability, places no limit on the amount of compensation, and the standards for calculating the amount of compensation are based on international law and the principles of justice and equity. A claims settlement committee is established to settle claims for compensation, but its decisions are advisory and not binding.

(3) Space Object Registration Treaty: This treaty stipulates the registration of space objects and came into force in 1976. It establishes a domestic registration system, provides information to the United Nations, and makes the UN registry public.

Japan approved and ratified all three agreements by the Diet in 1983, becoming an official member state.

[Ikeda Fumio]

Agreements on the Regulation of Space Use

In 1979, the Moon Convention was concluded, which established the legal status of the Moon and also laid out a new framework for the development of the Moon's natural resources. Regarding direct broadcasting satellites, UNESCO's "Declaration of Guiding Principles for the Use of Direct Broadcasting Satellites" and a UN resolution established the "Direct Broadcasting Satellite Principles" (DBS Principles), and regarding remote sensing of the Earth from outer space, the "Remote Sensing Principles" (RS Principles) were established. Furthermore, a UN resolution established the "Principles for the Use of Nuclear Energy Sources in Outer Space" regarding the safe use, liability, and compensation of nuclear satellites.

[Ikeda Fumio]

Agreement on establishment of user organization

As for agreements on organizations for the economical use of the results of space development, there is the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO) in the field of satellite communications, and the International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO) for maritime, aviation, and mobile communications. Next, as for regional cooperation agreements, there is the European Space Agency (ESA) in the European region, and finally, there are bilateral cooperation agreements with the United States as one of the parties.

[Ikeda Fumio]

[References] | Space Station Cooperation Agreement | Outer Space Treaty | Moon Agreement

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

宇宙空間と天体および人間の宇宙活動を規律する法。広義では宇宙国際法と同一。宇宙開発とともに生まれ、現在生成の過程にある。宇宙関係の諸条約と一般法である国際慣習法が法源となっている。宇宙法の内容としては、宇宙空間、天体、宇宙飛行体・宇宙基地の法的地位、宇宙活動の準則、天体資源と開発の規制、宇宙環境の保全のほか、宇宙活動の諸分野における個別的な法規制および国際協力とその組織化などの問題がある。1967年の宇宙条約は、最初の成文法としてこれらについて基本的な事項を定め、宇宙基本法となっている。

［池田文雄］

宇宙法発展の現状

宇宙法の発達には、国際連合が大きく貢献、国連の手で立法作業が続けられ、「宇宙条約」をはじめとする諸条約、協定、法原則などが制定されてきた。

　宇宙開発の実体面が、初期の探査目的から実用・商業目的へと移行するにつれ、宇宙法のほうも、初期の基本法整備の段階から、宇宙の利用秩序と利用組織を中心とする第二段階に入った。まず一般的な基本法である1967年の「宇宙条約」を補って、同条約の条項に直接に関連をもつ三つの条約協定が結ばれた。ついで「月協定」のほか、「直接放送衛星原則」「遠隔探査原則」「原子力衛星原則」などの国連決議を含む宇宙の利用秩序をおもな対象とする一群の条約協定ができた。これらと並んで各種の利用組織の設立協定が結ばれており、1988年には宇宙基地の建設運営にあたる「宇宙基地協力協定」が結ばれた。

［池田文雄］

宇宙条約の補足協定

(1)宇宙救助返還協定　宇宙飛行士の救助送還と宇宙物体の回収返還の詳細について定めたもので、1968年発効。宇宙機乗員が遭難したとき、条約当事国は打上げ国等に通報し、当事国の領域内に不時着したときは、当事国はなしうる限りの救援措置をとり、領域外に不時着したときは、当事国は捜索救助作業を援助する。救助した乗員は本国へ送還し、宇宙打上げ物体も回収、返還される。政府間国際機関は一定の条件のもとでこの協定上の権利義務を認められる。

(2)宇宙損害賠償条約　宇宙物体による損害の賠償について定めたもので、1972年発効。宇宙物体により生じた地上の損害、飛行中の航空機の損害について打上げ国は無過失責任を負う。免責事由を極度に制限し、賠償額に限度を設けず、賠償額算定の基準は国際法および正義と衡平の原則による。賠償請求処理のために請求処理委員会が設置されるが、その決定は勧告的であって拘束力をもたない。

(3)宇宙物体登録条約　宇宙物体の登録について定めたもので1976年発効。国内登録制度の整備、国連への情報提供、国連登録簿の公開等。

　日本は、以上3協定とも、1983年（昭和58）に国会で承認、批准し正式加盟国となった。

［池田文雄］

宇宙の利用秩序の諸協定

1979年、月の法的地位を定めるとともに、新たに月の天然資源の開発について大枠を定めた月協定が結ばれた。直接放送衛星について、ユネスコの「直接衛星放送利用のための指導原則宣言」と、国連決議による「直接放送衛星原則」（DBS原則）、宇宙空間からの地球の遠隔探査について、「遠隔探査原則」（RS原則）が定められた。さらに原子力衛星の安全利用・責任と賠償などについて、国連決議により「宇宙空間における原子力電源の利用に関する原則」が定められた。

［池田文雄］

利用組織の設立協定

宇宙開発の成果を経済的に利用するための組織に関する協定としては、衛星通信の分野における国際電気通信衛星機構（ITSO）、海上通信・航空・移動体通信の国際移動通信衛星機構（IMSO）があげられる。次に地域協力の協定として、ヨーロッパ地域のヨーロッパ宇宙機関（ESA）があり、最後にアメリカを一方の当事者とする2か国間協力の協定取決めがある。

［池田文雄］

[参照項目] | 宇宙基地協力協定 | 宇宙条約 | 月協定

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

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