OUTER SPACE TREATY TEXT

TREATY ON PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE

ACTIVITIES OF STATES IN THE EXPLORATION AND
USE OF OUTER SPACE, INCLUDING THE MOON
AND OTHER CELESTIAL BODIES
(OUTER SPACE TREATY)

Opened for signature at London (L), Moscow (M) Taking account of United Nations General Assembly
and Washington (W): 27 January 1967. resolution 110 (II) of 3 November 1947, which con-
Entered into force: 10 October 1967. demned propaganda designed or likely to provoke or
Depositary Governments: Russian Federation, encourage any threat to the peace, breach of the peace
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ire- or act of aggression, and considering that the afore-
land and United States of America. mentioned resolution is applicable to outer space,
The States Parties to this Treaty, Convinced that a Treaty on Principles Governing the
Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of
Inspired by the great prospects opening up before
Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial
mankind as a result of man’s entry into outer space,
Bodies, will further the Purposes and Principles of
Recognizing the common interest of all mankind in the Charter of the United Nations,
the progress of the exploration and use of outer space
Have agreed on the following:
for peaceful purposes,
Believing that the exploration and use of outer space Article I
should be carried on for the benefit of all peoples
The exploration and use of outer space, including the
irrespective of the degree of their economic or scien-
Moon and other celestial bodies, shall be carried out
tific development,
for the benefit and in the interests of all countries,
Desiring to contribute to broad international co- irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific
operation in the scientific as well as the legal aspects development, and shall be the province of all man-
of the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful kind.
purposes,
Outer space, including the Moon and other celestial
Believing that such co-operation will contribute to bodies, shall be free for exploration and use by all
the development of mutual understanding and to the States without discrimination of any kind, on a basis
strengthening of friendly relations between States and of equality and in accordance with international law,
peoples, and there shall be free access to all areas of celestial
bodies.
Recalling resolution 1962 (XVIII), entitled “Declara-
tion of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of There shall be freedom of scientific investigation in
States in the exploration and Use of Outer Space,” outer space, including the Moon and other celestial
which was adopted unanimously by the United Na- bodies, and States shall facilitate and encourage in-
tions General Assembly on 13 December 1963, ternational co-operation in such investigation.
Recalling resolution 1884 (XVIII), calling upon Article II
States to refrain from placing in orbit around the
earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any Outer space, including the Moon and other celestial
other kinds of weapons of mass destruction or from bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by
installing such weapons on celestial bodies, which claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation,
was adopted unanimously by the United Nations or by any other means.
General Assembly on 17 October 1963,

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Article III whether such activities are carried on by governmen-

tal agencies or by non-governmental entities, and for
States Parties to the Treaty shall carry on activities in assuring that national activities are carried out in con-
the exploration and use of outer space, including the formity with the provisions set forth in the present
Moon and other celestial bodies, in accordance with Treaty. The activities of non-governmental entities in
international law, including the Charter of the United outer space, including the Moon and other celestial
Nations, in the interest of maintaining international bodies, shall require authorization and continuing
peace and security and promoting international co- supervision by the appropriate State Party to the
operation and understanding. Treaty. When activities are carried on in outer space,
including the Moon and other celestial bodies, by an
Article IV international organization, responsibility for compli-
States Parties to the Treaty undertake not to place in ance with this Treaty shall be borne both by the in-
orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear ternational organization and by the States Parties to
weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass de- the Treaty participating in such organization.
struction, install such weapons on celestial bodies, or
station such weapons in outer space in any other Article VII
manner. Each State Party to the Treaty that launches or pro-
The Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used by cures the launching of an object into outer space,
all States Parties to the Treaty exclusively for peace- including the Moon and other celestial bodies, and
ful purposes. The establishment of military bases, each State Party from whose territory or facility an
installations and fortifications, the testing of any type object is launched, is internationally liable for dam-
of weapons and the conduct of military maneuvers on age to another State Party to the Treaty or to its natu-
celestial bodies shall be forbidden. The use of mili- ral or juridical persons by such object or its compo-
tary personnel for scientific research or for any other nent parts on the Earth, in air space or in outer space,
peaceful purposes shall not be prohibited. The use of including the Moon and other celestial bodies.
any equipment or facility necessary for peaceful ex-
ploration of the moon and other celestial bodies shall Article VIII
also not be prohibited. A State Party to the Treaty on whose registry an ob-
ject launched into outer space is carried shall retain
Article V jurisdiction and control over such object, and over
States Parties to the Treaty shall regard astronauts as any personnel thereof, while in outer space or on a
envoys of mankind in outer space and shall render to celestial body. Ownership of objects launched into
them all possible assistance in the event of accident, outer space, including objects landed or constructed
distress, or emergency landing on the territory of an- on a celestial body, and of their component parts, is
other State Party or on the high seas. When astro- not affected by their presence in outer space or on a
nauts make such a landing, they shall be safely and celestial body or by their return to the Earth. Such
promptly returned to the State of registry of their objects or component parts found beyond the limits
space vehicle. of the State Party to the Treaty on whose registry
they are carried shall be returned to that State Party,
In carrying on activities in outer space and on celes- which shall, upon request, furnish identifying data
tial bodies, the astronauts of one State Party shall prior to their return.
render all possible assistance to the astronauts of oth-
er States Parties. Article IX
States Parties to the Treaty shall immediately inform In the exploration and use of outer space, including
the other States Parties to the Treaty or the Secretary- the Moon and other celestial bodies, States Parties to
General of the United Nations of any phenomena the Treaty shall be guided by the principle of co-
they discover in outer space, including the Moon and operation and mutual assistance and shall conduct all
other celestial bodies, which could constitute a dan- their activities in outer space, including the Moon and
ger to the life or health of astronauts. other celestial bodies, with due regard to the corre-
sponding interests of all other States Parties to the
Article VI Treaty. States Parties to the Treaty shall pursue stud-
States Parties to the Treaty shall bear international ies of outer space, including the Moon and other ce-
responsibility for national activities in outer space, lestial bodies, and conduct exploration of them so as
including the Moon and other celestial bodies, to avoid their harmful contamination and also adverse

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changes in the environment of the Earth resulting Treaty on a basis of reciprocity. Such representatives
from the introduction of extraterrestrial matter and, shall give reasonable advance notice of a projected
where necessary, shall adopt appropriate measures visit, in order that appropriate consultations may be
for this purpose. If a State Party to the Treaty has held and that maximum precautions may be taken to
reason to believe that an activity or experiment assure safety and to avoid interference with normal
planned by it or its nationals in outer space, including operations in the facility to be visited.
the Moon and other celestial bodies, would cause
potentially harmful interference with activities of Article XIII
other States Parties in the peaceful exploration and
The provisions of this Treaty shall apply to the activi-
use of outer space, including the Moon and other
ties of States Parties to the Treaty in the exploration
celestial bodies, it shall undertake appropriate inter-
and use of outer space, including the Moon and other
national consultations before proceeding with any
celestial bodies, whether such activities are carried on
such activity or experiment. A State Party to the
by a single State Party to the Treaty or jointly with
Treaty which has reason to believe that an activity or
other States, including cases where they are carried
experiment planned by another State Party in outer
on within the framework of international intergov-
space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies,
ernmental organizations.
would cause potentially harmful interference with
activities in the peaceful exploration and use of outer Any practical questions arising in connection with
space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, activities carried on by international inter-
may request consultation concerning the activity or governmental organizations in the exploration and
experiment. use of outer space, including the Moon and other
celestial bodies, shall be resolved by the States Par-
Article X ties to the Treaty either with the appropriate interna-
tional organization or with one or more States mem-
In order to promote international co-operation in the
bers of that international organization, which are Par-
exploration and use of outer space, including the
ties to this Treaty.
Moon and other celestial bodies, in conformity with
the purposes of this Treaty, the States Parties to the Article XIV
Treaty shall consider on a basis of equality any re-
quests by other States Parties to the Treaty to be af- 1. This Treaty shall be open to all States for signa-
forded an opportunity to observe the flight of space ture. Any State which does not sign this Treaty
objects launched by those States. before its entry into force in accordance with pa-
ragraph 3 of this article may accede to it at any
The nature of such an opportunity for observation
time.
and the conditions under which it could be afforded
shall be determined by agreement between the States 2. This Treaty shall be subject to ratification by
concerned. signatory States. Instruments of ratification and
instruments of accession shall be deposited with
Article XI the Governments of the United States of Amer-
ica, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
In order to promote international co-operation in the Northern Ireland and the Union of Soviet Social-
peaceful exploration and use of outer space, States ist Republics, which are hereby designated the
Parties to the Treaty conducting activities in outer Depositary Governments.
space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, 3. This Treaty shall enter into force upon the de-
agree to inform the Secretary-General of the United posit of instruments of ratification by five Gov-
Nations as well as the public and the international ernments including the Governments designated
scientific community, to the greatest extent feasible as Depositary Governments under this Treaty.
and practicable, of the nature, conduct, locations and
results of such activities. On receiving the said in- 4. For States whose instruments of ratification or
formation, the Secretary-General of the United Na- accession are deposited subsequent to the entry
tions should be prepared to disseminate it immedi- into force of this Treaty, it shall enter into force
ately and effectively. on the date of the deposit of their instruments of
ratification or accession.
Article XII 5. The Depositary Governments shall promptly
inform all signatory and acceding States of the
All stations, installations, equipment and space vehi- date of each signature, the date of deposit of each
cles on the Moon and other celestial bodies shall be instrument of ratification of and accession to this
open to representatives of other States Parties to the

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Treaty, the date of its entry into force and other

notices.
6. This Treaty shall be registered by the Depositary
Governments pursuant to Article 102 of the
Charter of the United Nations.

Article XV
Any State Party to the Treaty may propose amend-
ments to this Treaty. Amendments shall enter into
force for each State Party to the Treaty accepting the
amendments upon their acceptance by a majority of
the States Parties to the Treaty and thereafter for each
remaining State Party to the Treaty on the date of
acceptance by it.

Article XVI
Any State Party to the Treaty may give notice of its
withdrawal from the Treaty one year after its entry
into force by written notification to the Depositary
Governments. Such withdrawal shall take effect one
year from the date of receipt of this notification.

Article XVII
This Treaty, of which the English, Russian, French,
Spanish and Chinese texts are equally authentic, shall
be deposited in the archives of the Depositary Gov-
ernments. Duly certified copies of this Treaty shall be
transmitted by the Depositary Governments to the
Governments of the signatory and acceding States.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, duly
authorized, have signed this Treaty.
DONE in triplicate, at the cities of Washington, Lon-
don and Moscow, this twenty-seventh day of January
one thousand nine hundred sixty-seven.

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