How does the Outer Space Treaty's non-appropriation principle (Article II) apply to extracted resources?
States have adopted different national positions; there is no universally agreed international interpretation.
Labs / Space × Law // active
Space × Law Lab
Study how existing space law applies to new actors and activities, and where governance questions remain genuinely unsettled. This Lab does not provide legal advice.
Who is liable when private operators cause damage in orbit?
The 1972 Liability Convention assigns liability to launching States; how this scales to large private constellations is debated.
What governance would a long-duration settlement need that current frameworks do not supply?
No legal regime for permanent settlement currently exists; proposals are normative, not settled law.
Related Space Questions: Who owns the first city?
Treaty sources
Suggest primary texts, official commentaries or national legislation, with jurisdiction and date.
Comparative notes
Submit notes comparing national approaches while marking which points are contested.
No approved outputs have been published yet.
seed research note // example scope, not a published finding
Launching State liability in a crowded orbit
Example scope: outline what the Liability Convention says, and list the open questions it leaves for private operators.
Lab Leadopen / to be appointed
Contributors are credited on outputs they helped produce. Contact details are never shown publicly.
context sources //editorial standard →
UNOOSA // verified 28 September 2026
UNOOSA // verified 28 September 2026