The Legal Position on China's ASAT Test I am also no space lawyer & books on space law are scarce. I could discern the following legal position after briefly browsing Chapter-5 of Space, frontiers of modern defence by Squadron Laeder KK nair. In strictly legislative terms the ASAT test is absolutely legal. OST-1967 bans nuclear tests only, no conventional tests. The liability convention would apply in case of damage to property of other nations. The Chinese destroyed their own property (to start with), but any satellite at the same altitude degrading or gettin damaged could enable one to pull the Chinese to court. And there's nothing any court would do.
The Legal Position on China's ASAT Test
ReplyDeleteI am also no space lawyer & books on space law are scarce. I could discern the following legal position after briefly browsing Chapter-5 of Space, frontiers of modern defence by Squadron Laeder KK nair.
In strictly legislative terms the ASAT test is absolutely legal. OST-1967 bans nuclear tests only, no conventional tests. The liability convention would apply in case of damage to property of other nations. The Chinese destroyed their own property (to start with), but any satellite at the same altitude degrading or gettin damaged could enable one to pull the Chinese to court. And there's nothing any court would do.