Electronic Proceedings - United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

OPERATIVE PROVISIONS DEALING WITH RETURN OF OBJECTS• FOR PURPOSES OF AGREEMENT, “LAUNCHING AUTHORITY” SHALLREFER TO THE STATE RESPONSIBLE FOR LAUNCHING OR WHERE ANINTERNATIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION IS RESPONSIBLE FORLAUNCHING, THAT ORGANIZATION, PROVIDED THAT THAT ORGANIZATIONDECLARES ITS ACCEPTANCE OF THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THEAGREEMENT AND PROVIDED THAT A MAJORITY OF THE STATE MEMBERS OFTHE ORGANIZATION ARE CONTRACTING PARTIES TO THE AGREEMENT ANDTHE 1967 OUTER SPACE TREATY.ARTICLE V PROVIDES FOR THE FOLLOWING:• EACH CONTRACTING PARTY WHICH RECEIVES INFORMATION ORDISCOVERS THAT A SPACE OBJECT OR ITS COMPONENT PARTS HAS RETURNEDTO EARTH IN TERRITORY UNDER ITS JURISDICTION OR ON THE HIGH SEAS ORIN ANY OTHER PLACE NOT UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF ANY STATE, SHALLNOTIFY THE LAUNCHING AUTHORITY AND THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THEUNITED NATIONS.• EACH CONTRACTING PARTY HAVING JURISDICTION OVER THETERRITORY ON WHICH A SPACE OBJECT OR ITS COMPONENT PARTS HAS BEENDISCOVERED SHALL, UPON THE REQUEST OF THE LAUNCHING AUTHORITYAND WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THAT AUTHORITY IF REQUESTED, TAKE SUCHSTEPS AS IT FINDS PRACTICABLE TO RECOVER THE OBJECT OR COMPONENTPARTS.• UPON REQUEST OF THE LAUNCHING AUTHORITY, OBJECTS LAUNCHEDINTO OUTER SPACE OR THEIR COMPONENT PARTS FOUND BEYOND THETERRITORIAL LIMITS OF THE LAUNCHING AUTHORITY SHALL BE RETURNEDTO OR HELD AT THE DISPOSAL OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE LAUNCHINGAUTHORITY, WHICH SHALL, UPON REQUEST, FURNISH IDENTIFYING DATAPRIOR TO THEIR RETURN.• NOTWITHSTANDING PARAGRAPHS 2 AND 3 OF THIS ARTICLE, ACONTRACTING PARTY WHICH HAS REASON TO BELIEVE THAT A SPACEOBJECT OR ITS COMPONENT PARTS DISCOVERED IN TERRITORY UNDER ITSJURISDICTION, OR RECOVERED BY IT ELSEWHERE, IS OF A HAZARDOUS ORDELETERIOUS NATURE MAY SO NOTIFY THE LAUNCHING AUTHORITY, WHICHSHALL IMMEDIATELY TAKE EFFECTIVE STEPS, UNDER THE DIRECTION ANDCONTROL OF THE SAID CONTRACTING PARTY, TO ELIMINATE POSSIBLEDANGER OF HARM.• EXPENSES INCURRED IN FULFILLING OBLIGATIONS TO RECOVER ANDRETURN A SPACE OBJECT OR ITS COMPONENT PARTS UNDER PARAGRAPH 2AND 3 OF THIS ARTICLE SHALL BE BORNE BY THE LAUNCHING AUTHORITY.60