Space Registration Convention
The Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space , short Registration Convention , English Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space is an international treaty and part of the space law .
Content and meaning
The convention obliges all contracting states to record their space objects launched into orbit or beyond in a separate register. In addition, the General Secretariat of the United Nations keeps a register containing certain information to be transmitted by the contracting states .
In the event of damage, for example, the information should enable the space object to be identified and thus clarification of questions of liability under the Convention on Liability under International Law for Damage Caused by Space Objects.
The UN register is freely accessible in its entirety.
occurrence
The Convention was adopted on November 12, 1974 as Resolution 3235 (XXIX) by the General Assembly of the United Nations . On January 14, 1975, the opportunity to join the agreement was opened in New York . The youngest signatory is Intersputnik , who accepted the rights and obligations from the Convention on July 10, 2018.
The German Bundestag approved the agreement by law of June 1, 1979. The national register is kept at the Federal Aviation Office in Braunschweig.
Austria has ratified by him treaties on outer space , including the Space Registration Convention Kommes 2011 in a national space law implemented. The Austrian register is kept at the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology .
Mandatory information from the contracting states
In principle, according to Article II, Paragraph 1 of the Convention, the country of departure is subject to registration. Launching State in accordance with Article I of the Convention both the State which launches a space object or can perform its start and from which the State, the territory of the start is performed or its equipment. If there are two or more launch states, they jointly determine, in accordance with Article II, Paragraph 2, who fulfills the obligation and who becomes the registry state upon entry in their space register .
According to Article IV of the Treaty, the information required to report to the Secretary-General of the United Nations includes:
- the name of the starting state
- the name of the satellite or its registration number
- the start date and place of start
- the main satellite orbit elements:
- the cycle time in minutes and seconds
- the inclination (inclination) of its orbit to the mean equatorial plane in degrees
- the apogee (point furthest from the earth) of the orbit in kilometers
- the perigee (point closest to the earth) in kilometers
- the purpose of usage
Further information is permitted in accordance with Article IV, Paragraph 2 of the contract and can also be added later. According to Article IV, Paragraph 3 of the Treaty, the registry state has to inform the Secretary General of the discontinuation of registered satellites / objects.
criticism
The agreement was criticized by the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH): "The effectiveness of this convention is, however, impaired by the fact that a number of states either not at all, only incompletely, or for several months or even years later. In addition, the information required is usually too general to be able to distinguish between military and civilian purposes - as far as this is possible at all. " Avoiding such a distinction and recording both civilian and military objects is precisely the function of the register.
literature
- Stephan Hobe , Bernhard Schmidt-Tedd, Kai-Uwe Schrogl: Cologne Commentary on Space Law . Vol. II, Carl Heymans Verlag 2013
Web links
- Index of Notifications by Member States and Organizations on the Establishment of National Registers of Objects launched into Outer Space Website of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs , accessed on July 30, 2018 (list of signature states)
Individual evidence
- ↑ United Nations Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space Status: July 25, 2018 (English)
- ↑ Status of International Agreements relating to Activities in Outer Space / Latest Depository Notifications Website of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs , accessed on July 30, 2018
- ↑ BGBl. 1979 II p. 650
- ↑ Note verbale dated 7 April 1988 from the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations adressed to the Secretary-General 27 April 1988 (English)
- ↑ Note verbale dated 30 January 2017 from the Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations (Vienna) addressed to the Secretary-General 22 February 2017 (English)
- ↑ Niklas Hedman: The United Nations Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space UN / Thailand Workshop on Space Law 16–19 November 2010 Bangkok, Thailand, p. 4 (English)
