Comment by ceejayoz

Comment by ceejayoz 3 months ago

13 replies

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Liability_Convention

Only used once, when the Soviets dropped a nuclear reactor on Canada.

> States (countries) bear international responsibility for all space objects that are launched within their territory. This means that regardless of who launches the space object, if it was launched from State A's territory, or from State A's facility, or if State A caused the launch to happen, then State A is fully liable for damages that result from that space object.

walrus01 3 months ago

As I recall a village in Australia also billed NASA with their standard municipal littering fine, for skylab debris that landed there, and the bill was paid 20+ years later by a radio station as a publicity stunt.

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krick 3 months ago

I feel like it should be updated. When it was written it wasn't like every Musk could launch high-orbit rockets on sundays. Only actual states did.

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  • dragonwriter 3 months ago

    The convention does not prevent national law from providing private liability which may come into play between entities subject to the jurisdiction of the same state or between the state who is liable to other states under the convention and entities operating within the state. So, there is no need to update the convention; the states from which private launches operate simply need adequate domestic law to cover both fully-internal liability and private launcher liability for claims against the government under the convention. (And the US generally does, with the basic regulatory regime being adopted and the private space launch industry operating in the 1980s; it is not an issue that arose with Musk/SpaceX.)

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  • ceejayoz 3 months ago

    States can set whatever rules they like internally. The US can make SpaceX pay them back if they want.

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    • dylan604 3 months ago

      [flagged]

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      • dragonwriter 3 months ago

        The President has very little case-by-case authority over civil liability between private parties.

        I suppose Trump could advocate that Congress pass a new liability regime more favorable to SpaceX speciically or private launchers generally, though.

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        • dylan604 3 months ago

          Time and time again, we have seen GOP congress critters kowtow to Trump even before he won the election. You think any of them are going to suddenly grow a backbone and stand up to him now? You think if Musk picks up the phone and starts "asking" people they will push back?

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  • tcmart14 3 months ago

    No expert, but I would assume, the USA would front it, but then take a case against SpaceX. So it would be Boat Owner v. USA, then USA v. SpaceX shortly after. Although I could be totally wrong.

    But yea, seems appropriate to update it or if that is going to be the process, write it in stone.

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  • oskarkk 3 months ago

    Every rocket flight has to be approved by the government. No launch until FAA (and also FCC) OK's it.

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twic 3 months ago

Does the thing have to have got into space and then come back for this to apply?

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