The 50th Anniversary of the Rescue and Return Agreement: Relevance and Challenges

Overview

The 2018 Symposium was held on 9 April, 15:00 – 18:00 Vienna Time (CEST) in Board Room D, Vienna International Centre.

A panel of prestigious speakers discussed the following subject: “The 50th Anniversary of the Rescue and Return Agreement: Relevance and Challenges” during the 57th session of the Legal Subcommittee of the UN COPUOS.

The panel was welcomed by the Chair of the Legal Subcommittee Andrzej Misztal of Poland, and co-chaired by Kai-Uwe Schrogl, President of the IISL, and Sergio Marchisio, Chair of ECSL. All highlighted the significance of the Rescue and Return Agreement in today’s geopolitical context.

Please find the abstract, the Symposium programme, the presentation slides and the IISL Report from the Symposium below.

This IISL/ECSL Annual Symposium on Space Law is co-organised every year by IISL and ECSL and takes place during the Legal Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) in Vienna, Austria. Both IISL and ECSL are permanent observers to the COPUOS Legal Subcommittee.

This Symposium brings together academic experts and leading practitioners in the field of space law, policy and regulation to discuss pressing issues and to propose solutions to the international community.

Abstract of the Symposium programme

In 2018 the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts, and the Return of Objects Launched in Outer Space (ARRA), celebrated its 50th anniversary. After the Outer Space Treaty, the ARRA has the highest number of member states, and must be acknowledged as a successful legally binding international treaty.

The draft history of the ARRA reflects its origin as an instrument of the cold war era, where ensuring the security of astronauts and space objects landing or crashing on foreign territory was seen as a prime objective. Today, the political situation and space sector has dramatically changed. This Symposium debated if the ARRA was still relevant today, potential challenges and ways forward. In particular, the ARRAs relevance was examined in light of the rapid privatisation, increased international cooperation and
overall growing level of activity characterising the modern space sector.

The benefits of adhering to the principles of the ARRA were highlighted, but also the challenges relating to the practical interpretation and application of the principles in a changing environment. The Symposium concluded with a deliberation of how the UN COPUOS Legal Subcommittee could address these challenges within its bodies and the UNISPACE+50 context.

Symposium programme

Presentations held

Title/presenter	Presentation
The drafting and history of the Rescue and Return Agreement Elina Morozova, Intersputnik	Presentation
“Return to sender” – Fifty years of the Rescue Agreement and the role of the United Nations Niklas Hedman, UNOOSA	Presentation
The return of space objects: Legal annotations and practical experience Alexander Soucek, ESA	Presentation
Perspectives on the concept of astronaut and private space flight  Andrew Kuh, UK Space Agency	Presentation
Contemporary aspects of the Rescue Agreement turning 50  Jose Monserrat Filho, Brazilian Association of Air and Space Law	Presentation
The future of ARRA and how to meet the challenges: The role of UN COPUOS Legal Subcommittee and UNISPACE+50  Setsuko Aoki, Keio University Law School	Presentation

IISL Report on the 2018 IISL/ECSL Symposium