Who is legally responsible for space debris?

[+and-then]

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2014/02/15/russian-reconnaissance-satellite-to-hit-earth-sunday/?cmpid=edpick&google_editors_picks=true

I saw the story and it occurred to me that regardless who had sent this device into space and for what purpose it had toiled there, I would not be happy if the thing took me, or even my property out as it came home. Does anyone know if there are any treaties or space laws that say who pays up if a sizeable object landed in mid town Manhattan during rush hour and kills say... 48 people?

Just curious....

[questionmark]

if you can identify the providence of the object then whoever sent it up, but given the millions of pieces swirling around up there: good luck trying.

[+and-then]

if you can identify the providence of the object then whoever sent it up, but given the millions of pieces swirling around up there: good luck trying.

Understood, but in a case such as this that's posted, we know the origin. I'm just curious because the attitude in the article is one of lack of concern. A kind of "the odds are on our side" fatalism. Regardless who's it is, are there any cases where someone has set precedent by having to pay for the damage caused by their equipment reentry?

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

If you throw a can of drink out a window and it hits and hurts someone, are you liable?

Same logic IMO.

[Davros of Skaro]

HHHmmm?

From Ambulance chasers to space junk reentry chasers.

It would have to be sizeable for it to do ground level damage due to the Earth’s atmosphere, and its subsequent breakup due to aerodynamic heating and loads.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Technically the state that launched the object (or which paid for the launch) is legally liable under Article VII of the U.N. Outer Space treaty, which states:

Each State Party to the Treaty that launches or procures the launching of an object into outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, and each State Party from whose territory or facility an object is launched, is internationally liable for damage to another State Party to the Treaty or to its natural or juridical persons by such object or its component parts on the Earth, in air or in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies.

Source: United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

However whilst states accept this article for functioning satellites they do not necessarily do so for space junk.

This article from 2012 gives a fuller explanation: The Space Review - Addressing the challenges of space debris, part 2: liability

Edited February 16, 2014 by Waspie_Dwarf
added link for quote.

[+DieChecker]

if you can identify the providence of the object then whoever sent it up, but given the millions of pieces swirling around up there: good luck trying.

Doesn't the US track every piece of space rubbish that is big enough to reenter the atmosphere? Seems everybody would already know the origin of anything that big.

[+DieChecker]

Technically the state that launched the object (or which paid for the launch) is legally liable under Article VII of the U.N. Outer Space treaty, which states:

I wonder how that is going to work with Civilian corpations getting into space now? Nations will have to be responsible for their citizens space junk?

[keninsc]

I've always heard it's the responsibility of the country who put it up, however with the advent of privatized spacecraft being sent up then it would fall (pun not intended but works nicely here) to the company to whom it belonged. I don't know if you could sue NASA if one of theirs fell and took out your house, or if NASA put up a satellite for a telephone company if they'd have to share responsibility.

[+DieChecker]

I've always heard it's the responsibility of the country who put it up, however with the advent of privatized spacecraft being sent up then it would fall (pun not intended but works nicely here) to the company to whom it belonged. I don't know if you could sue NASA if one of theirs fell and took out your house, or if NASA put up a satellite for a telephone company if they'd have to share responsibility.

That is too easy Ken, because you'd just need to dissolve your company every five years or so to avoid responsibility. If the company is gone, then who would be responsible?

[keninsc]

What? You don't like easy?

[ChrLzs]

Doesn't the US track every piece of space rubbish that is big enough to reenter the atmosphere? Seems everybody would already know the origin of anything that big.

Yep. Even 'dead' old satellites are tracked as much as possible (at night they are easily visible as the Sun catches them overhead just after dusk and before dawn) - their orbits are constantly watched - go see www.heavens-above.com..), and when they fall out of the sky they are either immediately identified or it might take up to a week or two before the one that is now no longer orbiting is positively ID'd. And of course if any wreckage is found, there will be forensic clues..

[toast]

Doesn't the US track every piece of space rubbish that is big enough to reenter the atmosphere? Seems everybody would already know the origin of anything that big.

It´s not only the US, there are 12 space agencies involved coordinated by the IADC (Inter Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee).

Here an informative link to ESA: http://www.esa.int/O...nal_cooperation

Edited February 17, 2014 by toast

[questionmark]

Doesn't the US track every piece of space rubbish that is big enough to reenter the atmosphere? Seems everybody would already know the origin of anything that big.

They can't, and even mostly those tracked cannot be identified to its origin because they don't have to be gigantic to cause considerable damage, an object the size of a 3/4" nut, provided it stays in one piece, could be quite a projectile given the acceleration by gravity.

Luckily most disintegrate before hitting the ground, but that does not have to be the case always.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

They can't,

You will be surprised at just how small an object can be and still be tracked by radar:

NASA and the DoD cooperate and share responsibilities for characterizing the satellite (including orbital debris) environment. DoD's Space Surveillance Network tracks discrete objects as small as 2 inches (5 centimeters) in diameter in low Earth orbit and about 1 yard (1 meter) in geosynchronous orbit.

(My emphasis)

Source: NASA

and even mostly those tracked cannot be identified to its origin because they don't have to be gigantic to cause considerable damage,

Most of these objects will have been tracked from the moment they entered orbit. If they are the result of an explosion or a collision in orbit that will be known too.

an object the size of a 3/4" nut, provided it stays in one piece, could be quite a projectile given the acceleration by gravity.

Acceleration duse to gravity has little to do with it. An object needs to be travelling at around 17,500 mph to enter orbit in the first place.

If it enters the atmosphere friction will far outweigh acceleration from gravity, slowing the object down, not speeding it up.

Luckily most disintegrate before hitting the ground, but that does not have to be the case always.

It will pretty much ALWAYS be the case for small objects. When a small object does survive to hit the ground it is because it was part of a large object which broke up during re-entry. Big satellite re-enters - small fragments hit the ground.

Since the scenario that and then gave us was of people being killed on the ground by space debris your argument about small objects is irrelevant.

Edited February 17, 2014 by Waspie_Dwarf
added source link for NASA quote.