The Pros And Cons Of The Outer Space Treaty Of 1967
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According to the National Security Space Policy, Space has become contested, congested and competitive. With our increasing dependence on space-based assets, along with the growing commercial accessibility to space, the importance of managing the space environment is becoming increasingly critical. Currently there are very few policies in place which monitor, or manage the space environment. Those that do exist stem from the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. Yet since then, there have been little strides to develop any form of “rules of the road” when it comes to space. This lack of regulation and management has led to multiple kinetic collisions, both intentional and unintentional. Space being the asymmetrical environment that it is cannot afford to endure the collateral damage associated with high energy impacts.
Purpose…show more content… Most space savvy folks recognize the Outer Space Treaty (OST) as the binding platform which regulates the heavens. In 1967 The US ratified the Outer Space Treaty which had essentially been in work for the past decade (State.gov) . Given the timeframe of when the treaty was created it can be assumed that the reason its regulatory nature seems more focused on arms rather than traffic is because we were in the middle of the Cold War and did not want to restrict ourselves in a manner that would leave us vulnerable to the east. (State .gov) Article one states:
“The exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific development, and shall be the province of all mankind. Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, shall be free for exploration and use by all States without discrimination of any kind, on a basis of equality and in accordance with international law, and there shall be free access to all areas of celestial