在轨空间物体所有权转移法律问题探析

Legal Issues on the Transfer of Ownership of Space Objects in Orbit

随着商业航天产业在全球范围内的兴起和发展,为便利空间物体的广泛应用和灵活交易,空间物体于在轨运行期间发生所有权转移的实践情形日益增多。然而,针对在轨空间物体所有权转移引发的空间物体管辖权归属、空间物体损害责任和营救义务对象等重要且紧迫的法律问题,现行外层空间国际法律制度却并未做出明确规定,使得相关法律主体,尤其是非空间物体发射国和私人实体的权利、义务处于十分不稳定的状态。由此,确有必要通过修正、完善现行外层空间国际条约和推动制定相关国际软法规则等途径,明晰在轨空间物体所有权转移所涉各法律主体间的权利、义务关系,为具体实践的有序进行提供充分的法律保障。

With the thriving development of the commercial space industry worldwide,in order to facilitate the extensive use and flexible trade of space objects,the practices of transferring ownership of the space objects in orbit are increasing day by day.Under the current international legal framework of outer space,however,there is no clear provision to solve the important and urgent legal issues caused by the transfer of ownership of space objects in orbit,such as the right of jurisdiction on the space objects,the liability for damages caused by space objects,and the object of rescue obligations.As a consequence,the relationship of rights and obligations among relevant legal subjects,especially with respect to the non-launching countries of space objects and the private entities,are very unclear and obscure.Therefore,it is of great necessity to clarify the relationship of rights and obligations among the legal subjects involved in the transfer of ownership of space objects in orbit by amending the current treaties on outer space affairs and promoting the formulation of relevant international soft law rules so as to provide adequate legal protection for the practices.