Bees in space - Swarm technologies' unauthorised deployment of SmallSats and Art. VI of the outer space treaty
(2018) 69th International Astronautical Congress: #InvolvingEveryone, IAC 2018 In Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC 2018-October.- Abstract
In March 2018, it became publically known that Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO's launch on 12 January 2018 deployed four space objects into orbit that were not authorised by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the United States of America (US). Prior to the launch with ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, US-based tech start-up Swarm Technologies had received a dismissal by the FCC of their application for a license to launch their four SpaceBEE satellites. This may be the first publically known occasion of a potentially unauthorised deployment of space objects since the inception of international space law. This paper centres around an assessment of the launch of the SpaceBEE satellites under national and... (More)
In March 2018, it became publically known that Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO's launch on 12 January 2018 deployed four space objects into orbit that were not authorised by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the United States of America (US). Prior to the launch with ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, US-based tech start-up Swarm Technologies had received a dismissal by the FCC of their application for a license to launch their four SpaceBEE satellites. This may be the first publically known occasion of a potentially unauthorised deployment of space objects since the inception of international space law. This paper centres around an assessment of the launch of the SpaceBEE satellites under national and international space law. Regarding the latter, the regime of international responsibility of States is considered under both Article VI of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and general public international law. The paper concludes that while it is too early to foresee the ultimate consequences of Swarm Technologies' conduct, a discussion of the relevant national and international legal frameworks proves instructive. The theoretical attention that the interpretation of Art. VI OST has been getting over the past decades is met with a sense of practical necessity triggered by the deployment of the SpaceBEEs.
(Less)
- author
- Wagner, Scarlet LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2018
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Authorisation, Non-governmental entities, Outer Space Treaty, Public international law, Smallsats, State responsibility
- host publication
- Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC
- series title
- Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC
- volume
- 2018-October
- conference name
- 69th International Astronautical Congress: #InvolvingEveryone, IAC 2018
- conference location
- Bremen, Germany
- conference dates
- 2018-10-01 - 2018-10-05
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85065317178
- ISSN
- 0074-1795
- project
- International Responsibility for Activities in Outer Space in the Modern Space Age: Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty in the context of international space law and public international law
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- ca2c59d7-bf5d-49e0-a28c-aa22f3239319
- date added to LUP
- 2019-06-03 14:06:08
- date last changed
- 2023-09-09 05:04:55
@inproceedings{ca2c59d7-bf5d-49e0-a28c-aa22f3239319,
abstract = {{<p>In March 2018, it became publically known that Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO's launch on 12 January 2018 deployed four space objects into orbit that were not authorised by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the United States of America (US). Prior to the launch with ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, US-based tech start-up Swarm Technologies had received a dismissal by the FCC of their application for a license to launch their four SpaceBEE satellites. This may be the first publically known occasion of a potentially unauthorised deployment of space objects since the inception of international space law. This paper centres around an assessment of the launch of the SpaceBEE satellites under national and international space law. Regarding the latter, the regime of international responsibility of States is considered under both Article VI of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and general public international law. The paper concludes that while it is too early to foresee the ultimate consequences of Swarm Technologies' conduct, a discussion of the relevant national and international legal frameworks proves instructive. The theoretical attention that the interpretation of Art. VI OST has been getting over the past decades is met with a sense of practical necessity triggered by the deployment of the SpaceBEEs.</p>}},
author = {{Wagner, Scarlet}},
booktitle = {{Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC}},
issn = {{0074-1795}},
keywords = {{Authorisation; Non-governmental entities; Outer Space Treaty; Public international law; Smallsats; State responsibility}},
language = {{eng}},
series = {{Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC}},
title = {{Bees in space - Swarm technologies' unauthorised deployment of SmallSats and Art. VI of the outer space treaty}},
volume = {{2018-October}},
year = {{2018}},
}