1 The National Registration of Space Objects Dr. Michael Gerhard German Aerospace Center (DLR) Berlin, 20/21 January 2005 Project 2001 Plus Global and European Challenges for Air and Space Law at the Edge of the 21st Century

2 Threefold obligation to State Parties to the REG 1.Desiring (…) to make provision for the national registration by launching States of space objects launched into outer space (…) State Parties shall maintain an appropriate registry of space objects and inform the UN SG of the establishment of such registry [Preamble and Art. II (1) REG] 2.The launching State / State of registry shall register the space object launched into Earth orbit or beyond by menas of entry in such registry [Art. II (1) REG] 3.Desiring further that a central register of objects launched into outer space be established, and maintained, on a mandatory basis, by the the UN SG, the State of registry shall furnish the the UN SG, as soon as practicable, the information referred to in Art. IV REG [Preamble and Art. IV (1) REG] I. International Law

3 I. International Law (cont.) State of registry [Art. I (c) REG] Only one launching State is entitled and obliged to - maintain a registry - register the space objects and - furnish the relevant information to the UN SG If there is only one launching State, this State is the State of registry If there are two or more launching States, these have to determine, which one is the State of registry

4 II. National Registration According to Art. II REG State of registries are obliged to maintain a registry and to register space objects for which they are the / a launching State Conditions of maintenance and contents are to the discretion of the States [Art. II (3) REG] 1. Obligation to maintain Launching State [Art. 1 (a) REG]: interpretation of „to procure“ – also includes privately launched space objects Space objects launched into Earth orbit or beyond: includes also rocket stages which remain in Earth orbit

5 II. National Registration (cont.) 2. Discretion with regard to conditions of maintenance -registry for governmental launched objects / legitimate procedure for a registry of private launched objects -National Space Legislation -Registrar -Linkage to authorisation procedure possible

6 II. National Registration (cont.) 3. Discretion with regard to contents - Compilation of information necessary due to Art. IV REG - Blank possibility to require additional information - Explicit additional information - Access to registry

7 Aircraft Register of the Federal Republic of Germany – Spacecraft – 1. Registernumber 2. Type of aircraft 3. Launching state (Register state) 4. Designation of space object Date and location of launchBasic orbit parameters Period, Inclination Apogee, Perigee General FunctionDate of registration Date of deregistration 1. D-R Satellite 3. Federal Republic of Germany 4. CHAMP Kosmodrome Plesetsk, Russia 1. 93,51 min 2. 87, ,05 km ,23 km Small satellite mission for geoscientific and atmospheric research and applications Namn Datum och plats för uppsändningen Uppdrag avslutadUppdrag Munin November 21, 2000(Vandenberg Air Force Base, USA) February 12, 2001 Nanosatellite for auroral research built by the Swedish Institute of Space Physics in Kiruna Register of Swedish objects launched into outer space Name of Object:amc-15 Flag State:USA Nuclear Power Source:No Date of Launch:10/14/04 GSO Location:N/A UN Registered:Yes UN Document of Registration: Status of Object:In Orbit Date of Decay or Change: Document(s) of Decay or Change: Function of Object: Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communications U.S. Space Objects registry

8 III. Conclusions National registration necessary and important Agreements necessary if there are two or more launching States to determine State of registry Existing national registries are widely comparable Based on information necessary due to Art. IV REG opportunity for additional information is neglected