Use for legal questions that relate to space, for example, the legality of building rockets or ownership of spacecraft. Often national laws and international treaties apply.
Questions tagged [space]
22 questions
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What if a spacecraft lands on my property?
In December 2020 Hayabusa2, a Japanese space mission, returned samples from an asteroid to Earth, landing them in the Australian outback. Now, imagine a scenario where the samples accidentally land on someone's private property. Is that person…
AstroRP
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Under which law the person who commits a crime on the moon gets prosecuted?
I can understand that if an astronaut attack an other astronaut inside a spaceship he/she will have to answer to the law of the country which owns the ship but what if the attack happened on the moon?
Ulkoma
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Has anyone been charged with a crime committed in space?
Has anyone, in any jurisdiction, ever been charged with a crime for acts (allegedly) committed in outer space?
Someone
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Uncontrolled rocket re-entry kills my dog. What are the legal consequences?
The Chinese CZ-5B rocket launched last week had no support for controlled re-entry (or other managed demise), and is substantial enough that it can survive re-entry and hit the ground. This is unusual: these days, large launchers execute a planned…
SusanW
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Where does outer space legally start?
Recently the Billionaire Space Race culminated with both Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson, doing what I can tell without any dispute, "going up" and "coming down". The claim that either of them actually reached space however is hotly debated, with…
Adil Mohammed
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Why does the US patent law have a section about inventions in outer space?
I came upon a curiously exorbitant statute, Inventions in outer space (35 USC 105). To summarize my question, what was the story and the rationale behind this law?
The section reads, in part:
Any invention made, used, or sold in outer space on a…
kkm mistrusts SE
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Legality of space colonization
Let's assume that I have all the resources to be able to travel to Mars or any other celestial body and colonize it. It is legal to colonize celestials bodies in space?
I think I read once that by international law, no country can colonize space. Is…
scubaFun
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Has article VI or VII of the Outer Space Treaty ever been invoked?
Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty states
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…
Adil Mohammed
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4
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What happens if a murder occurs in space?
Let's say that there's a joint mission to the International Space Station, composed of American and British astronauts.
They get along well for the first few days, but tensions grow, and eventually an American crew member kills a one of the British…
Munesawagi
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Am I legally allowed to build my own rocket and fly to space by myself?
Let's say I have all the technology, knowledge, materials, money and time to build my own homemade space rocket. Am I allowed to fly to space with it?
Oh nooo
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Is there any jurisdiction where bestiality laws would not forbid relations with a consenting, sapient extraterrestrial?
Suppose that humanity made contact with a species of aliens with a comparable anatomy, sexuality and level of intelligence to ours. If I lived in the state of Washington, I would not be allowed to consummate my connection to my alien partner:
RCW…
Purple P
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Is Mark Watney really a space pirate?
In the movie/book The Martian there's a NASA astronaut on the Mars named Mark Watney.
He's arguing that the surface of the planet is juridically considered sea.
Because he takes control of another (empty) space ship without explicit permission, he…
3
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In Canada, is it legal for citizens to launch a small object into space?
Let's say a citizen is able to launch a rocket or a weather balloon into space with an electronic device (probably a GPS) and a small gnome attached on it, would it be legal?
Does this require to notify government or a particular agency?
Galabyca
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Is the GNU GPL v3 patent license grant valid in space?
The GNU General Public License v3.0 includes a patent license grant (emphasis added):
... Each contributor grants you a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free patent license under the contributor's essential patent claims, to make, use, sell, offer…
Someone
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Who really owns extraterrestrial objects?
Dozens of people have historically claimed ownership of planets, stars and more. Some notable examples including Dennis Hope successfully turned it into a full-fledged business and made a fortune. However most claims were made in an era in which no…
zyf725
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