Dec 18, 16 / Cap 17, 00 20:31 UTC
Current Space Law : The Outer Space Treaty ¶
Who owns Outer Space ? As Yasmin Ali wrote for BBC ,
“Neil Armstrong famously planted a US flag on the Moon in 1969. This gesture may have implied territorial ownership, but was purely symbolic because of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.
129 countries, including China, Russia, the UK and the US, have committed to this treaty, which is overseen by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.
It sets out important principles, such as the concept that space should be considered the province of all mankind, that outer space is free for the exploration and use by all states, and that the Moon and other celestial bodies cannot be claimed by a sovereign nation state. Additionally, the Moon and celestial bodies are to be used purely for peaceful purposes, and weapons will not be placed in orbit or in space.
"This is frequently referred to as the outer space constitution," says Dr Jill Stuart, a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics and Editor of the journal Space Policy. She spoke to BBC News at the British Science Festival in Bradford.
The very existence of a Space Nation is aiming to change the current state of Space Law, in order to allow sovereignty and "democratization of space". How could the Constitution of Asgardia make the international law evolve accordingly ?