Statutory Scaffolding9 TITLES 18 U.S.T. 2410UN Outer Space Treaty of 1967 (1967)
Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in Outer Space
SYSTEMIC ARCHITECTURE:Constitutional bedrock of global space governance, preventing celestial militarization and establishing space object liability.
Article IINon-Appropriation Principle
“Prohibits sovereign national appropriation of lunar surface and celestial bodies.”
Judicial Interpretation: Tension with commercial extraction rights under the Artemis Accords and US Commercial Space Launch Act.
Article VIILaunching State Liability
“Strict international liability for kinetic collisions and damage caused by space objects.”
Judicial Interpretation: Governs space debris liability and international orbital cleanup obligations.