Diego Berrueta

(This is a reprint of the original post)

"Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation". The Outer Space Treaty (which is the short name of the "Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies", read the full text) was created forty years ago and eventually signed by most of the countries on this planet. It is quite remarkable that even if it was written during the cold war and at the peak of the space race, it went very far to protect the common interests of the human race. It explicitly excluded any militar use of the space (in particular, the presence of nuclear bombs), and it also forbade any claim over the property of the space.

The cold war ended. The space race finished long ago. And today, the remaing superpower has decided to kill the treaty. Its government has made clear that they have the right to decide who is allowed to use the space and who is not (read it yourself: 1 and 2). What will be the next step (backwards)?