Fifty Years of the Outer Space Treaty: Tracing the Journey

About the Author

Developments in the outer space arena post the erstwhile USSR launching the first man-made satellite Sputnik in space on 4 October 1957 have transformed the world significantly. In order to ensure the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) was set up by the United Nations General Assembly in 1959. Subsequently, this committee led to the foundation of the “Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies”. This treaty is commonly known as the Outer Space Treaty (OST). This treaty was opened for signature on January 27, 1967 as a binding legal instrument. On January 27, 2017, this treaty competes 50 years. Over the years this treaty has largely ensured responsible conduct of space activities. This book attempts to examine and contextualize the treaty and its relevance in the 21stcentury while tracing its journey over the last fifty years.

About The Author

Gp Capt Ajey Lele (retd) is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi. He is a postgraduate in Physics and has a doctorate in International Relations. He is an author of a book titled Asian Space Race: Rhetoric or Reality?, Springer, 2013

Contents

Foreword

About the Contributors

Introduction

SECTION I: DEBATING OUTER SPACE TREATY

1. Evolution of the Outer Space Treaty - Ram S. Jakhu

2. Outer Space Treaty and International Relations Theory: For the Benefit of All Mankind - Joan Johson Freese

3. Outer Space Treaty: An Appraisal - G.S. Sachdeva

4. Relevance and Limitations of Outer Space Treaty in 21st Century - Ranjana Kaul

5. The Space Arms Race: Domain Asia - Ji Yeon-jung

SECTION II: GLOBAL OUTLOOK

6. The European Union and the Outer Space Treaty: Will the Twain Ever Meet? - Frans G. von der Dunk

7. 50th Anniversary of the Outer Space Treaty: US Contributions as We Move into the 21st Century - Philip A. Meek

8. Russia and the Outer Space Treaty - Aleksandr Klapovskiy and Vladimir Yermakov

9. “All’s Well that Ends Well”: Overview of China’s 60-year Space Activity and Space Law - LI Juqian

10. India and the Outer Space Treaty - Kumar Abhijeet

11. Japan, Koreas and the Outer Space Treaty - Munish Sharma

12. Impact of Outer Space Treaty on Few Observer Organisations in COPUOS - Malay Adhikari

SECTION III: GOVERNANCE AND PROSPECTS

13. Evolution of Policy and Law for International Space Governance - Eligar Sadeh

14. Beyond Outer Space Treaty – Time for New Mechanisms? - Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan

15. The Future of the Outer Space Treaty - Ram S. Jakhu

Conclusion

Appendices

Appendix I: The Text of Outer Space Treaty

Appendix II: The Outer Space Treaty at a Glance

Index

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