| dc.description.abstract | Space Law can be defined as the body of law governing space related activities. Space Law comprises a variety of international agreements, treaties, conventions, United Nations General Assembly resolutions, and rules and regulations of international organizations. The committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space(UNCOPUOS) has concluded five principle treaties on Space Law. Its first treaty, The Treaty on Principles governing the activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies was adopted in 1967. This Treaty provides the basic framework for international space law. Article IV of the treaty prohibits placing in orbit around the earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction, install such weapons on celestial bodies or station such weapons in outer space in any other manner. However, the treaty is silent on emerging threats such as kinetic kill vehicles, space- based lasers and Anti-Satellite weapons. In this backdrop the author seeks to examine Article IV of the treaty and identify the inadequacy of the treaty to include modern space weapons. This study is based on Primary sources which includes international instruments such as United Nations treaties and secondary sources such as books and journal articles on the subject. Furthermore, the author has conducted a field research as well.The study brings in to focus the grey areas pertaining to Article IV of the treaty in terms of the inadequacy and precision of the terms employed vis-?-vis the technological advancements taking place in the contemporary context. The study concludes emphasizing the necessity of updating the Article IV of the outer space treaty to include Kinetic kill Vehicles, Laser Weapons and Anti-Satellite Weapons, in addition to the weapons of mass destruction which is already stated in the Article. | en_US |
