The Treaty was opened for signature by the three depositary Governments (the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States of America) in January 1967, and entered into force in October 1967. Convinced that a Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, will promote the Purposes and Principles of the Charter of the United Nations,. At the time, many nations were concerned about nuclear weapons and the possibility of outer space being exploited for military advantages. Depositary Governments shall transmit duly certified copies of this Treaty to the Governments of signatory and acceding States. The activities of non-governmental entities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, will require the authorization and ongoing supervision of the State Party concerned to the Treaty.
Immediately, the Outer Space Treaty states that all nations must have free access to space, and that the exploration of the cosmos must be a peaceful undertaking. UN Resolution 1962 established legal principles on the exploration of outer space, which stipulated that all countries have the right to freely explore and use space. Created when space travel was in its infancy, the agreement was intended to address issues that could arise as space technology progressed. At the moment, there is no regulatory framework that would allow the United States government to oversee these specialized space missions and ensure that companies adhere to the articles of the Outer Space Treaty.
The Outer Space Treaty instructs countries to “avoid harmful pollution of celestial bodies. Since then, the treaty has helped to ensure the peaceful exploration of space, as well as to provide a lasting framework for how nations are supposed to behave in Earth orbit and beyond. Recalling resolution 1962 (XVIII), entitled “Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space”, which was unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 13 December 1963,. However, the treaty remains the basis of every piece of space legislation that has been created in the last half century.
In 1963, the United Nations General Assembly adopted two resolutions on outer space, which later became the basis of the Outer Space Treaty. It also indicates whether the State became a party by signature and subsequent ratification, by accession to the treaty after it had been closed for signature, or by succession of states after the separation of another party to the treaty. The States Parties to the Treaty undertake not to place in orbit around the Earth any object carrying nuclear weapons or any other type of weapons of mass destruction, to install such weapons in celestial bodies, or to park such weapons in outer space in any other way. Wishing to contribute to broad international cooperation in the scientific and legal aspects of the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes,.
When comparing the two environments, there are many similarities, namely that each is located in a remote and extreme environment with potentially valuable resources, and each with many countries interested in conducting scientific explorations and making territorial claims.
