Are there laws in space?

[Sashamx]

Sorry for such an odd question but I wondered the other night what would happen if one of the Astronauts murdered another astronaut on the moon or on the spacestation? How does the law work in space? Surely we aren't governed by the law of wherever our rocket comes from? So what are the laws in space?

[mrs_overall]

I eagerly await the answer to this one as I may have a legal way of bumping off my mother in law.
All I need now is a rocket :-(

[DTCwordfan]

I am not a lawyer but yes I would think it would be governed by the country of origin, just like any aircraft.

For example, if I murder you on an airborne BA, I could be expected to be prosecuted under English law - an interesting question if the flight originated or ends up in Glasgow.......

One of the reasons many airlines, especially US ones, do not like women to fly after 7 months of their pregnancy, is that if the baby is born on the carrier and the mother is not a citizen of that carrier's country, the baby can assume the carrier's citizenship.

[mollykins]

Would it be like the laws on international waters at all?

[McMouse]

My in-laws are spaced out.

[mrs_overall]

I agree with DT on a murder on board a craft, but what would happen if they were OUT of the rocket and actually standing on the moon?

[Sashamx]

Lol mrs overall virgin should be doing spaceflights soon so buy her a ticket for her "Birthday surprise"
Dt with spaceflight looming and eventual spacestation hotels and us eventually moving to the moon etc.. Do we not have to have a new set of laws for space?

[Sashamx]

Thanks housemouse that's a little too much to read so what is it in a nutshell?

[mrs_overall]

Thinking about it further, the Americans planted a US flag on the moon, so it could be argued that the moon was claimed as US land and therefore subject to their laws

[DTCwordfan]

You need a specialist to answer that - bet there is a treaty that covers it though - for example a more practical case would be two items colliding in space and one 'owner' goes for negligence on the other.

[mollykins]

For the moon would all the members of the UN have to agree on laws?

[DTCwordfan]

I quote from Wilkipedia as a starting point

1998 ISS agreementIn addition to the international treaties that have been negotiated at the United Nations, the nations participating in the International Space Station have entered into the 1998 Agreement among the governments of Canada, Member States of the European Space Agency, Japan, Russian Federation, and the United States of America concerning cooperation on the Civil International Space Station (the "Space Station Agreement"). This Agreement provides, among other things, that NASA is the lead agency in coordinating the member states' contributions to and activities on the space station, and that each nation has jurisdiction over its own module(s). The Agreement also provides for protection of intellectual property and procedures for criminal prosecution. This Agreement may very well serve as a model for future agreements regarding international cooperation in facilities on the Moon and Mars, where the first off-world colonies and scientific/industrial bases are likely to be established.

[edit] National lawSpace law also encompasses national laws, and many countries have passed national space legislation in recent years. The Outer Space Treaty requires parties to authorize and supervise national space activities, including the activities of non-governmental entities such as commercial and non-profit organizations. The Outer Space Treaty also incorporates the UN Charter by reference, and requires parties to ensure that activities are conducted in accordance with other forms of international law such as customary international law (the custom and practice of states).

The advent of commercial space activities beyond the scope of the satellite communications industry, and the development of many commercial spaceports, is leading many countries to consider how to regulate private space activities. The challenge is to regulate these activities in a manner that does not hi

[DTCwordfan]

so they just open the door and send the murder out into space. Harsh perhaps, but fair.