04/08/2026
⬆️What goes up occasionally comes back down. But when a space object lands in another country, States have rules, rights and international mechanisms through which to act.
🌌The international space treaties were negotiated more than half a century ago but they are coming to life in a new space age.
📝Four UN space treaties negotiated between 1967 and 1975 are directly relevant: the Outer Space Treaty, the Rescue and Return Agreement, the Liability Convention and the Registration Convention. Together, they address jurisdiction and return, identification and registration, communication between States and liability for damage caused by space objects.
UNOOSA discharges the relevant functions entrusted to the Secretary-General under these treaties. UNOOSA maintains the Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space and stands ready to assist any Member State dealing with the re-entry or recovery of a space object.
In the event re-entry, UNOOSA can:
• support efforts to identify a recovered object and determine its State of registry or possible launching State;
• facilitate communication between the affected State and the relevant State or States;
• explain the applicable international legal framework, including the procedures established under the Rescue and Return Agreement and the Liability Convention; and
• receive and disseminate official notifications submitted under the United Nations space treaties, especially Article V of the Rescue and Return Agreement.
The treaty framework is complemented by the UN Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines and the 21 Guidelines for the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities. These voluntary guidelines encourage States to strengthen registration, exchange information, improve orbital data and address risks associated with uncontrolled re-entry.
📖Read our explainer “When the Sky Falls” for more information:
📷Photo Credit: Kenya Space Agency
