Space Law

Despite having been operational for over 15 years, the satellites NSS-6 and NSS-7 are missing from the United Nations Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space ('International Register'). Just as we do not accept unregistered cars on our roads, we should not accept unregistered space objects in orbit. Registration ensures that the state responsible for a specific space object can be readily identified, and, if necessary, presented with a claim under the Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects. For this reason, under the international space object registration regime, all space objects must be registered by a state. So which state is shirking their duty to submit NSS-6 and NSS-7 to the International Register? The two satellites were built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems ('Lockheed Martin'), a United States-based corporation, for New Skies International NV ('New Skies'), a Dutch corporation. Launch services were provided by Arianespace SA ('Arianespace'), a French corporation. Both launches took place from French territory. Once in orbit, ownership of the…