Outer Space Treaty

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Outer Space Treaty
Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies
Outer Space Treaty parties.svg
  Parties
  Signatories
  Non-parties
Signed27 January 1967
Location London, Moscow and Washington, D.C.
Effective10 October 1967;57 years ago (1967-10-10)
Condition5 ratifications, including the depositary Governments
Parties117 [1] [2] [3] [4]
DepositaryGovernments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America
LanguagesEnglish, French, Russian, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic
Full text
Wikisource-logo.svg Outer Space Treaty of 1967 at Wikisource
Signing of the Outer Space Treaty Signing Outer Space Treaty.jpg
Signing of the Outer Space Treaty

The Outer Space Treaty, formally the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, is a multilateral treaty that forms the basis of international space law. Negotiated and drafted under the auspices of the United Nations, it was opened for signature in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union on 27 January 1967, entering into force on 10 October 1967. As of May 2025, 117 countries are parties to the treaty—including all major spacefaring nations—and another 22 are signatories. [1] [5] [6]

Contents

The Outer Space Treaty was spurred by the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in the 1950s, which could reach targets through outer space. [7] The Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, in October 1957, followed by a subsequent arms race with the United States, hastened proposals to prohibit the use of outer space for military purposes. On 17 October 1963, the U.N. General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution prohibiting the introduction of weapons of mass destruction in outer space. Various proposals for an arms control treaty governing outer space were debated during a General Assembly session in December 1966, culminating in the drafting and adoption of the Outer Space Treaty the following January. [7]

Key provisions of the Outer Space Treaty include prohibiting nuclear weapons in space; limiting the use of the Moon and all other celestial bodies to peaceful purposes; establishing that space shall be freely explored and used by all nations; and precluding any country from claiming sovereignty over outer space or any celestial body. Although it forbids establishing military bases, testing weapons and conducting military maneuvers on celestial bodies, the treaty does not expressly ban all military activities in space, nor the establishment of military space forces or the placement of conventional weapons in space. [8] [9] From 1968 to 1984, the OST gave birth to four additional agreements: rules for activities on the Moon; liability for damages caused by spacecraft; the safe return of fallen astronauts; and the registration of space vehicles. [10]

OST provided many practical uses and was the most important link in the chain of international legal arrangements for space from the late 1950s to the mid-1980s. OST was at the heart of a 'network' of inter-state treaties and strategic power negotiations to achieve the best available conditions for nuclear weapons world security. The OST also declares that space is an area for free use and exploration by all and "shall be the province of all mankind". Drawing heavily from the Antarctic Treaty of 1961, the Outer Space Treaty likewise focuses on regulating certain activities and preventing unrestricted competition that could lead to conflict. [7] Consequently, it is largely silent or ambiguous on newly developed space activities such as lunar and asteroid mining. [11] [12] [13] Nevertheless, the Outer Space Treaty is the first and most foundational legal instrument of space law, [14] and its broader principles of promoting the civil and peaceful use of space continue to underpin multilateral initiatives in space, such as the International Space Station and the Artemis Program. [15] [16]

Provisions

The Outer Space Treaty represents the basic legal framework of international space law. According to the U.N. Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the core principles of the treaty are: [17]

Among its principles, it bars states party to the treaty from placing weapons of mass destruction in Earth orbit, installing them on the Moon or any other celestial body, or otherwise stationing them in outer space. It specifically limits the use of the Moon and other celestial bodies to peaceful purposes, and expressly prohibits their use for testing weapons of any kind, conducting military maneuvers, or establishing military bases, installations, and fortifications (Article IV). However, the treaty does not prohibit the placement of conventional weapons in orbit, and thus some highly destructive attack tactics, such as kinetic bombardment, are still potentially allowable. [18] In addition, the treaty explicitly allows the use of military personnel and resources to support peaceful uses of space, mirroring a common practice permitted by the Antarctic Treaty regarding that continent. The treaty also states that the exploration of outer space shall be done to benefit all countries and that space shall be free for exploration and use by all the states.

Article II of the treaty explicitly forbids any government from "appropriating" a celestial body such as the Moon or a planet, whether by declaration, use, occupation, or "any other means". [19] However, the state that launches a space object, such as a satellite or space station, retains jurisdiction and control over that object; [20] by extension, a state is also liable for damages caused by its space object. [21]

Responsibility for activities in space

Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty deals with international responsibility, stating that "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" and that States Party shall bear international responsibility for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental entities.

As a result of discussions arising from Project West Ford in 1963, a consultation clause was included in Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty: "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." [22] [23]

Applicability in the 21st century

Being primarily an arms control treaty for the peaceful use of outer space, the Outer Space Treaty offers limited and ambiguous regulations to newer space activities such as lunar and asteroid mining. [11] [13] [24] It is therefore debated whether the extraction of resources falls within the prohibitive language of appropriation, or whether the use of such resources encompasses the commercial use and exploitation. [25]

Seeking clearer guidelines, private U.S. companies lobbied the U.S. government, which in 2015 introduced the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015 legalizing space mining. [26] Similar national legislation to legalize the appropriation of extraterrestrial resources are now being introduced by other countries, including Luxembourg, Japan, China, India, and Russia. [11] [24] [27] [28] In addition, the U.S. has led the creation of a series of bilateral agreements known as the Artemis Accords that seek to clarify a number of issue related to the Outer Space Treaty, including the use of space resources. [29] This has created some controversy regarding legal claims over the mining of celestial bodies for profit. [24] [25]

1976 Bogota Declaration

The "Declaration of the First Meeting of Equatorial Countries", also known as the "Bogota Declaration", was one of the few attempts to challenge the Outer Space Treaty. It was promulgated in 1976 by eight equatorial countries to assert sovereignty over those portions of the geostationary orbit that continuously lie over the signatory nations' territory. [30] These claims did not receive wider international support or recognition, and were subsequently abandoned. [31]

Influence on space law

As the first international legal instrument concerning space, the Outer Space Treaty is considered the "cornerstone" of space law. [32] [33] It was also the first major achievement of the United Nations in this area of law, following the adoption of the first U.N. General Assembly resolution on space in 1958, [34] and the first meeting of the U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) the subsequent year. [35]

Within roughly a decade of the treaty's entry into force, several other treaties were brokered by the U.N. to further develop the legal framework for activities in space: [33]

With the exception of the Moon Treaty, to which only 18 nations are party, all other treaties on space law have been ratified by most major space-faring nations (namely those capable of orbital spaceflight). [36] COPUOS coordinates these treaties and other questions of space jurisdiction, aided by the U.N. Office for Outer Space Affairs.

List of parties

The Outer Space Treaty was opened for signature in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union on 27 January 1967, and entered into force on 10 October 1967. As of May 2025, 117 countries are parties to the treaty, while another 22 have signed the treaty but have not completed ratification. [1]

Multiple dates indicate the different days in which states submitted their signature or deposition, which varied by location: (L) for London, (M) for Moscow, and (W) for Washington, D.C. Also indicated is whether the state became a party by way of signature and subsequent ratification, by accession to the treaty after it had closed for signature, or by succession of states after separation from some other party to the treaty.

State [1] [2] [3] [4] SignedDepositedMethod
Flag of the Taliban.svg Afghanistan
  • 27 Jan 1967 (W)
  • 30 Jan 1967 (M)
  • 17 Mar 1988 (L, M)
  • 21 Mar 1988 (W)
Ratification
Flag of Algeria.svg Algeria 27 Jan 1992 (W)Accession
Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg Antigua and Barbuda
  • 16 Nov 1988 (W)
  • 26 Dec 1988 (M)
  • 26 Jan 1989 (L)
Succession from Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina
  • 27 Jan 1967 (W)
  • 18 Apr 1967 (M)
26 Mar 1969 (M, W)Ratification
Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia 28 Mar 2018 (M)Accession
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia 27 Jan 1967 (W)10 Oct 1967 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Austria.svg Austria 20 Feb 1967 (L, M, W)26 Feb 1968 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan 9 Sep 2015 (L)Accession
Flag of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas
  • 11 Aug 1976 (L)
  • 13 Aug 1976 (W)
  • 30 Aug 1976 (M)
Succession from Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Flag of Bahrain.svg Bahrain 7 Aug 2019 (M)Accession
Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh
  • 14 Jan 1986 (L)
  • 17 Jan 1986 (W)
  • 24 Jan 1986 (M)
Accession
Flag of Barbados.svg Barbados 12 Sep 1968 (W)Accession
Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus 10 Feb 1967 (M)31 Oct 1967 (M)Ratification
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium
  • 27 Jan 1967 (L, M)
  • 2 Feb 1967 (W)
  • 30 Mar 1973 (W)
  • 31 Mar 1973 (L, M)
Ratification
Flag of Benin.svg Benin
  • 19 Jun 1986 (M)
  • 2 Jul 1986 (L)
  • 7 Jul 1986 (W)
Accession
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia and Herzegovina 29 Sep 2020 (L)Accession
Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil
  • 30 Jan 1967 (M)
  • 2 Feb 1967 (L, W)
5 Mar 1969 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)
  • 28 Mar 1967 (M)
  • 11 Apr 1967 (W)
  • 19 Apr 1967 (L)
Ratification
Flag of Burkina Faso.svg Burkina Faso 3 Mar 1967 (W)18 Jun 1968 (W)Ratification
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)10 Oct 1967 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Chile.svg Chile
  • 27 Jan 1967 (W)
  • 3 Feb 1967 (L)
  • 20 Feb 1967 (M)
8 Oct 1981 (W)Ratification
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China
  • 30 Dec 1983 (W)
  • 6 Jan 1984 (M)
  • 12 Jan 1984 (L)
Accession
Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia 27 Jan 1967 (W)
  • 21 Mar 2024 (W)
  • 16 Apr 2024 (M)
Ratification
Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia 10 Mar 2023 (W)Accession
Flag of Cuba.svg Cuba 3 Jun 1977 (M)Accession
Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus
  • 27 Jan 1967 (W)
  • 15 Feb 1967 (M)
  • 16 Feb 1967 (L)
  • 5 Jul 1972 (L, W)
  • 20 Sep 1972 (M)
Ratification
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic
  • 1 Jan 1993 (M, W)
  • 29 Sep 1993 (L)
Succession from Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czechoslovakia
Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)10 Oct 1967 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic 27 Jan 1967 (W)21 Nov 1968 (W)Ratification
Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador
  • 27 Jan 1967 (W)
  • 16 May 1967 (L)
  • 7 Jun 1967 (M)
7 Mar 1969 (W)Ratification
Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt 27 Jan 1967 (M, W)
  • 10 Oct 1967 (W)
  • 23 Jan 1968 (M)
Ratification
Flag of El Salvador.svg El Salvador 27 Jan 1967 (W)15 Jan 1969 (W)Ratification
Flag of Equatorial Guinea.svg Equatorial Guinea 16 Jan 1989 (M)Accession
Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia 19 Apr 2010 (M)Accession
Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji
  • 18 Jul 1972 (W)
  • 14 Aug 1972 (L)
  • 29 Aug 1972 (M)
Succession from Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Flag of Finland.svg Finland 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)12 Jul 1967 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of France.svg France 25 Sep 1967 (L, M, W)5 Aug 1970 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Germany.svg Germany 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)10 Feb 1971 (L, W)Ratification
Flag of Greece.svg Greece 27 Jan 1967 (W)19 Jan 1971 (L)Ratification
Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg Guinea-Bissau 20 Aug 1976 (M)Accession
Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)26 Jun 1967 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)5 Feb 1968 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of India.svg India 3 Mar 1967 (L, M, W)18 Jan 1982 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia
  • 27 Jan 1967 (W)
  • 30 Jan 1967 (M)
  • 14 Feb 1967 (L)
25 Jun 2002 (L)Ratification
Flag of Iraq.svg Iraq
  • 27 Feb 1967 (L, W)
  • 9 Mar 1967 (M)
  • 4 Dec 1968 (M)
  • 23 Sep 1969 (L)
Ratification
Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland 27 Jan 1967 (L, W)
  • 17 Jul 1968 (W)
  • 19 Jul 1968 (L)
Ratification
Flag of Israel.svg Israel 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)
  • 18 Feb 1977 (W)
  • 1 Mar 1977 (L)
  • 4 Apr 1977 (M)
Ratification
Flag of Italy.svg Italy 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)4 May 1972 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica 29 Jun 1967 (L, M, W)
  • 6 Aug 1970 (W)
  • 10 Aug 1970 (L)
  • 21 Aug 1970 (M)
Ratification
Flag of Japan.svg Japan 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)10 Oct 1967 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan 11 Jun 1998 (M)Accession
Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya 19 Jan 1984 (L)Accession
Flag of North Korea.svg North Korea 5 Mar 2009 (M)Accession
Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea 27 Jan 1967 (W)13 Oct 1967 (W)Ratification
Flag of Kuwait.svg Kuwait
  • 7 Jun 1972 (W)
  • 20 Jun 1972 (L)
  • 4 Jul 1972 (M)
Accession
Flag of Laos.svg Laos
  • 27 Jan 1967 (W)
  • 30 Jan 1967 (L)
  • 2 Feb 1967 (M)
  • 27 Nov 1972 (M)
  • 29 Nov 1972 (W)
  • 15 Jan 1973 (L)
Ratification
Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia 23 May 2025 (W)Accession
Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon 23 Feb 1967 (L, M, W)
  • 31 Mar 1969 (L, M)
  • 30 Jun 1969 (W)
Ratification
Flag of Libya.svg Libya 3 Jul 1968 (W)Accession
Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania 25 Mar 2013 (W)Accession
Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg
  • 27 Jan 1967 (M, W)
  • 31 Jan 1967 (L)
17 Jan 2006 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Madagascar.svg Madagascar 22 Aug 1968 (W)Accession
Flag of Mali.svg Mali 11 Jun 1968 (M)Accession
Flag of Malta.svg Malta 22 May 2017 (L)Accession
Flag of Mauritius.svg Mauritius
  • 7 Apr 1969 (W)
  • 21 Apr 1969 (L)
  • 13 May 1969 (M)
Succession from Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)31 Jan 1968 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Mongolia.svg Mongolia 27 Jan 1967 (M)10 Oct 1967 (M)Ratification
Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco
  • 21 Dec 1967 (L, M)
  • 22 Dec 1967 (W)
Accession
Flag of Myanmar.svg Myanmar 22 May 1967 (L, M, W)18 Mar 1970 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Nepal.svg   Nepal
  • 3 Feb 1967 (M, W)
  • 6 Feb 1967 (L)
  • 10 Oct 1967 (L)
  • 16 Oct 1967 (M)
  • 22 Nov 1967 (W)
Ratification
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands 10 Feb 1967 (L, M, W)10 Oct 1969 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)31 May 1968 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Nicaragua.svg Nicaragua
  • 27 Jan 1967 (W)
  • 13 Feb 1967 (L)
  • 30 Jun 2017 (W)
  • 10 Aug 2017 (M)
  • 14 Aug 2017 (L)
Ratification
Flag of Niger.svg Niger 1 Feb 1967 (W)
  • 17 Apr 1967 (L)
  • 3 May 1967 (W)
Ratification
Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria 14 Nov 1967 (L)Accession
Flag of Norway.svg Norway 3 Feb 1967 (L, M, W)1 Jul 1969 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Oman.svg Oman 4 Feb 2022 (L)Accession
Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan 12 Sep 1967 (L, M, W)8 Apr 1968 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Panama.svg Panama 27 Jan 1967 (W)9 Aug 2023 (W)Ratification
Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Papua New Guinea
  • 27 Oct 1980 (L)
  • 13 Nov 1980 (M)
  • 16 Mar 1981 (W)
Succession from Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
Flag of Paraguay.svg Paraguay 22 Dec 2016 (L)Accession
Flag of Peru.svg Peru 30 Jun 1967 (W)
  • 28 Feb 1979 (M)
  • 1 Mar 1979 (L)
  • 21 Mar 1979 (W)
Ratification
Flag of Poland.svg Poland 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)30 Jan 1968 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Portugal (official).svg Portugal 29 May 1996 (L)Accession
Flag of Qatar.svg Qatar 13 Mar 2012 (W)Accession
Flag of Romania.svg Romania 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)9 Apr 1968 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Russia.svg Russia 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)10 Oct 1967 (L, M, W)Ratification as the Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13 May 1999 (L)Succession from Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Flag of San Marino.svg San Marino
  • 21 Apr 1967 (W)
  • 24 Apr 1967 (L)
  • 6 Jun 1967 (M)
  • 29 Oct 1968 (W)
  • 21 Nov 1968 (M)
  • 3 Feb 1969 (L)
Ratification
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia 17 Dec 1976 (W)Accession
Flag of Seychelles.svg Seychelles 5 Jan 1978 (L)Accession
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Sierra Leone
  • 27 Jan 1967 (L, M)
  • 16 May 1967 (W)
  • 13 Jul 1967 (M)
  • 14 Jul 1967 (W)
  • 25 Oct 1967 (L)
Ratification
Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore 10 Sep 1976 (L, M, W)Accession
Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia
  • 1 Jan 1993 (M, W)
  • 17 May 1993 (L)
Succession from Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czechoslovakia
Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia 8 Feb 2019 (L)Accession
Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa 1 Mar 1967 (W)
  • 30 Sep 1968 (W)
  • 8 Oct 1968 (L)
  • 14 Nov 1968 (M)
Ratification
Flag of Spain.svg Spain
  • 27 Nov 1968 (L)
  • 7 Dec 1968 (W)
Accession
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka 10 Mar 1967 (L)18 Nov 1986 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)11 Oct 1967 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland
  • 27 Jan 1967 (L, W)
  • 30 Jan 1967 (M)
18 Dec 1969 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Syria (2025-).svg Syria 19 Nov 1968 (M)Accession
Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)
  • 5 Sep 1968 (L)
  • 9 Sep 1968 (M)
  • 10 Sep 1968 (W)
Ratification
Flag of Togo (3-2).svg Togo 27 Jan 1967 (W)26 Jun 1989 (W)Ratification
Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga
  • 22 Jun 1971 (M)
  • 7 Jul 1971 (L, W)
Succession from Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia
  • 27 Jan 1967 (L, W)
  • 15 Feb 1967 (M)
  • 28 Mar 1968 (L)
  • 4 Apr 1968 (M)
  • 17 Apr 1968 (W)
Ratification
Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)27 Mar 1968 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Uganda.svg Uganda 24 Apr 1968 (W)Accession
Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine 10 Feb 1967 (M)31 Oct 1967 (M)Ratification
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates 4 Oct 2000 (W)Accession
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)10 Oct 1967 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of the United States.svg United States 27 Jan 1967 (L, M, W)10 Oct 1967 (L, M, W)Ratification
Flag of Uruguay.svg Uruguay
  • 27 Jan 1967 (W)
  • 30 Jan 1967 (M)
31 Aug 1970 (W)Ratification
Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan 17 Oct 2024 (M)Accession
Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela 27 Jan 1967 (W)3 Mar 1970 (W)Ratification
Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam 20 Jun 1980 (M)Accession
Flag of Yemen.svg Yemen 1 Jun 1979 (M)Accession
Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia
  • 20 Aug 1973 (W)
  • 21 Aug 1973 (M)
  • 28 Aug 1973 (L)
Accession

Partially recognized state abiding by treaty

The Republic of China (Taiwan), which is currently recognized by 11 UN member states, ratified the treaty prior to the United Nations General Assembly's vote to transfer China's seat to the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1971. When the PRC subsequently ratified the treaty, they described the Republic of China's (ROC) ratification as "illegal". The ROC has committed itself to continue to adhere to the requirements of the treaty, and the United States has declared that it still considers the ROC to be "bound by its obligations". [5]

StateSignedDepositedMethod
Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Republic of China 27 Jan 196724 Jul 1970Ratification

States that have signed but not ratified

21 states have signed but not ratified the treaty.

StateSigned
Flag of Bolivia.svg Bolivia 27 Jan 1967 (W)
Flag of Botswana.svg Botswana 27 Jan 1967 (W)
Flag of Burundi.svg Burundi 27 Jan 1967 (W)
Flag of Cameroon.svg Cameroon 27 Jan 1967 (W)
Flag of the Central African Republic.svg Central African Republic 27 Jan 1967 (W)
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • 27 Jan 1967 (W)
  • 29 Apr 1967 (M)
  • 4 May 1967 (L)
Flag of Ethiopia.svg Ethiopia
  • 27 Jan 1967 (L, W)
  • 10 Feb 1967 (M)
Flag of The Gambia.svg Gambia 2 Jun 1967 (L)
Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana
  • 27 Jan 1967 (W)
  • 15 Feb 1967 (M)
  • 3 Mar 1967 (L)
Flag of Guyana.svg Guyana 3 Feb 1967 (W)
Flag of Haiti.svg Haiti 27 Jan 1967 (W)
Flag of Vatican City (2023-present).svg Holy See 5 Apr 1967 (L)
Flag of Honduras (2022-).svg Honduras 27 Jan 1967 (W)
Flag of Iran.svg Iran 27 Jan 1967 (L)
Flag of Jordan.svg Jordan 2 Feb 1967 (W)
Flag of Lesotho.svg Lesotho 27 Jan 1967 (W)
Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia
  • 20 Feb 1967 (W)
  • 21 Feb 1967 (L)
  • 3 May 1967 (M)
Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines
  • 27 Jan 1967 (L, W)
  • 29 Apr 1967 (M)
Flag of Rwanda.svg Rwanda 27 Jan 1967 (W)
Flag of Somalia.svg Somalia 2 Feb 1967 (W)
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago
  • 24 Jul 1967 (L)
  • 17 Aug 1967 (M)
  • 28 Sep 1967 (W)

List of non-parties

The remaining UN member states and United Nations General Assembly observer states which have neither ratified nor signed the Outer Space Treaty are: [37]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies". United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs . Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  2. 1 2 "TREATY ON PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE ACTIVITIES OF STATES IN THE EXPLORATION AND USE OF OUTER SPACE, INCLUDING THE MOON AND OTHER CELESTIAL BODIES". Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
    "Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and other Celestial Bodies [London version]". Foreign and Commonwealth Office . Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and other Celestial Bodies". United States Department of State. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Договор о принципах деятельности государств по исследованию и использованию космического пространства, включая Луну и другие небесные тела" [Convention on the Principles of Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies] (in Russian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia . Retrieved 5 April 2025.
  5. 1 2 "China: Accession to Outer Space Treaty". United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs . Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  6. In addition, the Republic of China in Taiwan, which is currently recognized by 11 UN member states, ratified the treaty prior to the United Nations General Assembly's vote to transfer China's seat to the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1971.
  7. 1 2 3 "Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  8. Shakouri Hassanabadi, Babak (30 July 2018). "Space Force and international space law". The Space Review. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  9. Irish, Adam (13 September 2018). "The Legality of a U.S. Space Force". OpinioJuris. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  10. Buono, Stephen (2 April 2020). "Merely a 'Scrap of Paper'? The Outer Space Treaty in Historical Perspective". Diplomacy and Statecraft. 31 (2): 350-372. doi:10.1080/09592296.2020.1760038. S2CID   221060714.
  11. 1 2 3 If space is ‘the province of mankind’, who owns its resources? Senjuti Mallick and Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan. The Observer Research Foundation. 24 January 2019. Quote 1: "The Outer Space Treaty (OST) of 1967, considered the global foundation of the outer space legal regime, […] has been insufficient and ambiguous in providing clear regulations to newer space activities such as asteroid mining." *Quote2: "Although the OST does not explicitly mention "mining" activities, under Article II, outer space including the Moon and other celestial bodies are "not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty" through use, occupation or any other means."
  12. Szoka, Berin; Dunstan, James (1 May 2012). "Law: Is Asteroid Mining Illegal?". Wired. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014.
  13. 1 2 Who Owns Space? US Asteroid-Mining Act Is Dangerous And Potentially Illegal. IFL. Accessed on 9 November 2019. Quote 1: "The act represents a full-frontal attack on settled principles of space law which are based on two basic principles: the right of states to scientific exploration of outer space and its celestial bodies and the prevention of unilateral and unbriddled commercial exploitation of outer-space resources. These principles are found in agreements including the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and the Moon Agreement of 1979." *Quote 2: "Understanding the legality of asteroid mining starts with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. Some might argue the treaty bans all space property rights, citing Article II."
  14. "Space Law". www.unoosa.org. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  15. "International Space Station legal framework". www.esa.int. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  16. "NASA: Artemis Accords". NASA. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  17. "The Outer Space Treaty". www.unoosa.org. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
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Further reading