NORMS ON RESPONSIBILITY IN INTERNATIONAL SPACE LAW AND THEIR IMPLEMENTATION IN THE NATIONAL LEGISLATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

Space activities are associated with a variety of factors and risks. One of them is the occurrence of emergency situations or accidents, and as a result, the need to determine the guilty subjects, the degree of their responsibility, and the extent of damage. In international space law there are a number of rules governing liability issues. Among them - the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, and a special document - the 1972 Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects. By the way, the Republic of Kazakhstan is a member of these documents since May 1997, joining them.

The topic of responsibility in space activities is quite relevant for our country. Owning on its territory the world’s largest cosmodrome, as well as consistently creating and developing its own space industry, however, controversial situations arise that need to be resolved. Under the conditions of the lease of the “Baikonur” complex by the Russian Federation and the launching of space objects, non-planned accidents occur that cause damage. And in this regard, it is important that the norms that are provided for by international space law are reflected in the national legislations of the States parties to space activities. The Kazakhstani space branch has long been regulated by sub legislation, and only in 2012 that the first and current Law “On Space Activity” was adopted, which took into account some international legal standards in this area, however, there are certain problems. This article aims to conduct a research of the norms of international space law in terms of responsibility for space activities, as well as identifying the extent of their implementation in the national legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.