(c)Nations guard their own interests, and will violate international law on occasion. Usually this is done very selectively, or else the offending nation faces isolation from the rest of the world for"crying wolf"too many times Where Does space begin? One of the first problems early formulators of space law faced was the definition of where space began. How far up from the earth's surface did an object have to be located to be considered"in space"and thus subject to the laws for that arena? They considered first the von Karman line, an altitude approximately 53-62 miles above the earth's surface where aerodynamic lift is largely nonexistent. This would be the general boundary of airplane flight and thus air law, and it seemed a logical point at which to start the domai of space law. They also considered that below an altitude of 69 miles, sustained orbit is practically impossible. Yet, there are violations of these generalizations. The X-15 classified as an airplane, flew at altitudes higher than 62 miles, and satellites have orbited (at certain points in the orbit) lower than 69 miles. The definition which has evolved is as follows: any object that is in orbit about a planet is said to be in space. This definition falls under "custom", and has never been explicitly delineated in any treaty or other official document. Since there is no tangible black-letter definition, there is the possibility that the current custom of defining "in space"may change in the future to suit the needs quent generati Consider the predicament of an aerospace plane, like President Reagan s proposed Orient Express. It would be both an airplane and a spacecraft. So would its passengers be considered "astronauts", and treated like "envoys of mankind considered under the Rescue Agreement?(see below for information on the rescue agreement) Highly unlikely. This is just an example of some of the challenges that might lie ahead in defining, or choosing not to define, clear boundaries for where space begins The space treaties The Limited Test Ban Treaty Perhaps the first treaty to place guidance on the international norms of behavior in space was the Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963. The treaty prohibits the explosion of nuclear devices in the oceans, the atmosphere, and outer space. The US, UK, and the Soviet Union signed this treaty. Other nuclear powers, such as France and China, did not sign the treat Though on the surface this treaty may seem to be aimed at slowing down the nuclear arms race, it actually didn't accomplish that at all, as nuclear tests continued extensively underground by the US and the USSR. From a space point of view though, it was extremely critical to ensuring the success of future satellite missions. Nuclear explosions in space propagate radiation and electromagnetic pulses, which can effectively kill all(c) Nations guard their own interests, and will violate international law on occasion. Usually this is done very selectively, or else the offending nation faces isolation from the rest of the world for "crying wolf" too many times. Where Does Space Begin? One of the first problems early formulators of space law faced was the definition of where space began. How far up from the earth's surface did an object have to be located to be considered "in space" and thus subject to the laws for that arena? They considered first the von Karman line, an altitude approximately 53-62 miles above the earth's surface where aerodynamic lift is largely nonexistent. This would be the general boundary of airplane flight and thus air law, and it seemed a logical point at which to start the domain of space law. They also considered that below an altitude of 69 miles, sustained orbit is practically impossible. Yet, there are violations of these generalizations. The X-15, classified as an airplane, flew at altitudes higher than 62 miles, and satellites have orbited (at certain points in the orbit) lower than 69 miles. The definition which has evolved is as follows: any object that is in orbit about a planet is said to be in space. This definition falls under "custom", and has never been explicitly delineated in any treaty or other official document. Since there is no tangible black-letter definition, there is the possibility that the current custom of defining "in space" may change in the future to suit the needs of subsequent generations. Consider the predicament of an aerospace plane, like President Reagan's proposed Orient Express. It would be both an airplane and a spacecraft. So would its passengers be considered "astronauts", and treated like "envoys of mankind" as astronauts are considered under the Rescue Agreement? (see below for information on the rescue agreement) Highly unlikely. This is just an example of some of the challenges that might lie ahead in defining, or choosing not to define, clear boundaries for where space begins. The Space Treaties The Limited Test Ban Treaty Perhaps the first treaty to place guidance on the international norms of behavior in space was the Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963. The treaty prohibits the explosion of nuclear devices in the oceans, the atmosphere, and outer space. The US, UK, and the Soviet Union signed this treaty. Other nuclear powers, such as France and China, did not sign the treaty. Though on the surface this treaty may seem to be aimed at slowing down the nuclear arms race, it actually didn't accomplish that at all, as nuclear tests continued extensively underground by the US and the USSR. From a space point of view though, it was extremely critical to ensuring the success of future satellite missions. Nuclear explosions in space propagate radiation and electromagnetic pulses, which can effectively kill all