Treaty on Principles Governing the

Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities
of States in the Exploration and Use
of Outer Space, including the Moon
and Other Celestial Bodies
The States Parties to this Treaty,
Inspired by the great prospects opening up before mankind as a result of man’s
entry into outer space,
Recognizing the common interest of all mankind in the progress of the exploration
and use of outer space for peaceful purposes,
Believing that the exploration and use of outer space should be carried on for
the benefit of all peoples irrespective of the degree of their economic or scientific
development,
Desiring to contribute to broad international cooperation in the scientific as
well as the legal aspects of the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful
purposes,
Believing that such cooperation will contribute to the development of mutual
understanding and to the strengthening of friendly relations between States and
peoples,
Recalling resolution 1962 (XVIII), entitled “Declaration of Legal Principles
Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space”,
which was adopted unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly on
13 December 1963,
Recalling resolution 1884 (XVIII), calling upon States to refrain from placing
in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds
of weapons of mass destruction or from installing such weapons on celestial bodies,
which was adopted unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly on
17 October 1963,
Taking account of United Nations General Assembly resolution 110 (II) of
3 November 1947, which condemned propaganda designed or likely to provoke or
encourage any threat to the peace, breach of the peace or act of aggression, and
considering that the aforementioned resolution is applicable to outer space,
Convinced that a Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the
Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies,
will further the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
Have agreed on the following:
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Article I
The exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial
bodies, shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries,
irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific development, and shall be the
province of all mankind.
Outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall be free for
exploration and use by all States without discrimination of any kind, on a basis of
equality and in accordance with international law, and there shall be free access to
all areas of celestial bodies.
There shall be freedom of scientific investigation in outer space, including the
Moon and other celestial bodies, and States shall facilitate and encourage international
cooperation in such investigation.
Article II
Outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to
national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or
by any other means.
Article III
States Parties to the Treaty shall carry on activities in the exploration and use
of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, in accordance with
international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, in the interest of
maintaining international peace and security and promoting international cooperation
and understanding.
Article IV
States Parties to the Treaty undertake not to place in orbit around the Earth any
objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction,
install such weapons on celestial bodies, or station such weapons in outer space in
any other manner.
The Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used by all States Parties to the
Treaty exclusively for peaceful purposes. The establishment of military bases, installations
and fortifications, the testing of any type of weapons and the conduct of
military manoeuvres on celestial bodies shall be forbidden. The use of military
personnel for scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes shall not be
prohibited. The use of any equipment or facility necessary for peaceful exploration
of the Moon and other celestial bodies shall also not be prohibited.
Article V
States Parties to the Treaty shall regard astronauts as envoys of mankind in
outer space and shall render to them all possible assistance in the event of accident,
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distress, or emergency landing on the territory of another State Party or on the high
seas. When astronauts make such a landing, they shall be safely and promptly returned
to the State of registry of their space vehicle.
In carrying on activities in outer space and on celestial bodies, the astronauts
of one State Party shall render all possible assistance to the astronauts of other States
Parties.
States Parties to the Treaty shall immediately inform the other States Parties to
the Treaty or the Secretary-General of the United Nations of any phenomena they
discover in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, which could
constitute a danger to the life or health of astronauts.
Article VI
States Parties to the Treaty shall bear international responsibility for national
activities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, whether such
activities are carried on by governmental agencies or by non-governmental entities,
and for assuring that national activities are carried out in conformity with the provisions
set forth in the present Treaty. The activities of non-governmental entities in
outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall require authorization
and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty. When
activities are carried on in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies,
by an international organization, responsibility for compliance with this Treaty shall
be borne both by the international organization and by the States Parties to the
Treaty participating in such organization.
Article VII
Each State Party to the Treaty that launches or procures the launching of an
object into outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, and each State
Party from whose territory or facility an object is launched, is internationally liable
for damage to another State Party to the Treaty or to its natural or juridical persons
by such object or its component parts on the Earth, in air space or in outer space,
including the Moon and other celestial bodies.
Article VIII
A State Party to the Treaty on whose registry an object launched into outer
space is carried shall retain jurisdiction and control over such object, and over any
personnel thereof, while in outer space or on a celestial body. Ownership of objects
launched into outer space, including objects landed or constructed on a celestial
body, and of their component parts, is not affected by their presence in outer space
or on a celestial body or by their return to the Earth. Such objects or component parts
found beyond the limits of the State Party to the Treaty on whose registry they are
carried shall be returned to that State Party, which shall, upon request, furnish identifying
data prior to their return.
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Article IX
In the exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial
bodies, States Parties to the Treaty shall be guided by the principle of cooperation
and mutual assistance and shall conduct all their activities in outer space, including
the Moon and other celestial bodies, with due regard to the corresponding
interests of all other States Parties to the Treaty. States Parties to the Treaty shall pursue
studies of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, and conduct
exploration of them so as to avoid their harmful contamination and also adverse
changes in the environment of the Earth resulting from the introduction of extraterrestrial
matter and, where necessary, shall adopt appropriate measures for this purpose.
If a State Party to the Treaty has reason to believe that an activity or experiment
planned by it or its nationals in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial
bodies, would cause potentially harmful interference with activities of other States
Parties in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and
other celestial bodies, it shall undertake appropriate international consultations before
proceeding with any such activity or experiment. A State Party to the Treaty which
has reason to believe that an activity or experiment planned by another State Party in
outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, would cause potentially
harmful interference with activities in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space,
including the Moon and other celestial bodies, may request consultation concerning
the activity or experiment.