Space - International Law / Can you commit a crime in space?

MaggieSpace above the atmosphere, are you above the law? Can you commit a crime in outer space? We ll show you how the law is truly international when you re in orbit.

How were the first space laws set up?

And as space travel becomes more and more accessible, can the law keep space safe?

You might be surprised to learn that there are actually laws in space.

It got started in the 1960s. America and Soviet Russia were rivals on Earth. They were also competing in space.

To keep things peaceful, they - and the United Kingdom - signed the Outer Space Treaty in 1967 the foundation of all international space law.

It says among other things that space belongs to everyone that space exploration should be for the good of everyone.

It was mostly an attempt to stop war breaking out so it also bans nuclear weapons in space.

After that, more agreements followed -saying how to protect the environment here on Earth and in space, how to deal with damage in space, and even how to rescue astronauts.

But as more countries and even companies are trying to get into space can space law change quickly enough?