Space Regulatory Glossary Regulations

Liability Convention

noun

1. The Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects (1972). An international treaty establishing that a launching state is absolutely liable for damage caused by its space objects on the surface of Earth or to aircraft in flight.
2. The convention also establishes a fault-based liability standard for damage caused in outer space (e.g., satellite-to-satellite collisions). It has been invoked once — when Canada claimed damages from the Soviet Union after the nuclear-powered Cosmos 954 satellite crashed in Canadian territory in 1978.

Related terms

Outer Space Treaty The Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space (1967). The… Registration Convention The Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space (1975). An international treaty requiring launching… orbital debris Non-functional human-made objects in Earth orbit, including defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, fragmentation… COPUOS The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The primary international forum for developing space…

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