GNSS and Principle of Non-Appropriation of Outer Space
- Paper number
IAC-07-E6.4.01
- Author
Ms. Yuri Takaya-Umehara, Japan
- Year
2007
- Abstract
The basic research and development on GNSS have started by the U.S. Air Force since the end of 1950s. After the UNISPACEIII in 1999, in accordance with the Vienna Declaration on Space and Human Development, the UNOOSA efforts have promoted regional/international cooperation on the GNSS applications for sustainable development. A series of GNSS workshops have been successful and continuous, resulting into the establishment of International Committee on GNSS (ICG). While peaceful uses of GNSS have contributed for the benefit and in the interest of all countries, military uses of GNSS have enabled the integration of earth and space segments for the use of force on the earth or in outer space within shorter time than ever. In the U.S. defense policy, Space Control warns that “purposeful interference with U.S. space systems will be viewed as an infringement on our sovereign rights” and the policy attempts to reject an “enemy” State’s access to space in order to protect the U.S. space assets with direct/indirect space weapons. GNSS is core space infrastructure for such military operation; therefore, the extent and nature of jurisdiction and control on GNSS need to be clarified in Article VIII of the Outer Space Treaty. Those are important elements to analyze whether the use of GNSS for aggressive military operation is consistent with Principle of Non-Appropriation of Outer Space in Article II of the Outer Space Treaty. In this paper the author will clarify the legal nature of jurisdiction and control on GNSS and analyze whether or not the use of GNSS for destroying foreign space assets is consistent with Principle of Non-Appropriation of Outer Space.
- Abstract document