Convention on International Liability for 

Damage

Caused by Space Objects

The States Parties to this Convention,

Recognizing the common interest of all mankind in furthering the exploration and 

use of outer space for peaceful purposes, 

Recalling the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the 

Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial 

Bodies, 

Taking into consideration that, notwithstanding the precautionary measures to 

be taken by States and international intergovernmental organizations involved in 

the launching of space objects, damage may on occasion be caused by such 

objects, 

Recognizing the need to elaborate effective international rules and procedures 

concerning liability for damage caused by space objects and to ensure, in 

particular, the prompt payment under the terms of this Convention of a full and 

equitable measure of compensation to victims of such damage, 

Believing that the establishment of such rules and procedures will contribute to 

the strengthening of international co-operation in the field of the exploration and 

use of outer space for peaceful purposes, 

Have agreed on the following: 

Article I

For the purposes of this Convention: 

(a) The term "damage" means loss of life, personal injury or other impairment of 

health; or loss of or damage to property of States or of persons, natural or 

juridical, or property of international intergovernmental organizations; 

(b) The term "launching" includes attempted launching; 

(c) The term "launching State" means: 

(i) A State which launches or procures the launching of a space object;

(ii) A State from whose territory or facility a space object is launched; 

(d) The term "space object" includes component parts of a space object as well 

as its launch vehicle and parts thereof.

Article II
A launching State shall be absolutely liable to pay compensation for damage 

caused by its space object on the surface of the earth or to aircraft flight. 

Article III

In the event of damage being caused elsewhere than on the surface of the earth 

to a space object of one launching State or to persons or property on board such 

a space object by a space object of another launching State, the latter shall be 

liable only if the damage is due to its fault or the fault of persons for whom it is 

responsible.

Article IV

1. In the event of damage being caused elsewhere than on the surface of the 

earth to a space object of one launching State or to persons or property on 

board such a space object by a space object of another launching State, and of 

damage thereby being caused to a third State or to its natural or juridical 

persons, the first two States shall be jointly and severally liable to the third State, 

to the extent indicated by the following: 

(a) If the damage has been caused to the third State on the surface of the earth 

or to aircraft in flight, their liability to the third State shall be absolute; 

(b) If the damage has been caused to a space object of the third State or to 

persons or property on board that space object elsewhere than on the surface of 

the earth, their liability to the third State shall be based on the fault of either of 

the first two States or on the fault of persons for whom either is responsible. 

2. In all cases of joint and several liability referred to in paragraph 1 of this 

article, the burden of compensation for the damage shall be apportioned 

between the first two States in accordance with the extent to which they were at 

fault; if the extent of the fault of each of these States cannot be established, the 

burden of compensation shall be apportioned equally between them. Such 

apportionment shall be without prejudice to the right of the third State to seek 

the entire compensation due under this Convention from any or all of the 

launching States which are jointly and severally liable. 

Article V

1. Whenever two or more States jointly launch a space object, they shall be 

jointly and severally liable for any damage caused. 

2. A launching State which has paid compensation for damage shall have the 

right to present a claim for indemnification to other participants in the joint 

launching. The participants in a joint launching may conclude agreements 

regarding the apportioning among themselves of the financial obligation in 

respect of which they are jointly and severally liable. Such agreements shall be 

without prejudice to the right of a State sustaining damage to seek the entire 
compensation due under this Convention from any or all of the launching States 

which are jointly and severally liable. 

3. A State from whose territory or facility a space object is launched shall be 

regarded as a participant in a joint launching. 

Article VI

1. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 2 of this Article, exoneration from 

absolute liability shall be granted to the extent that a launching State establishes 

that the damage has resulted either wholly or partially from gross negligence or 

from an act or omission done with intent to cause damage on the part of a 

claimant State or of natural or juridical persons it represents. 

2. No exoneration whatever shall be granted in cases where the damage has 

resulted from activities conducted by a launching State which are not in 

conformity with international law including, in particular, the Charter of the 

United Nations and the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in 

the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial 

Bodies. 

Article VII

The provisions of this Convention shall not apply to damage caused by a space 

object of a launching State to:

(a) nationals of that launching State;

(b) foreign nationals during such time as they are participating in the operation 

of that space object from the time of its launching or at any stage thereafter 

until its descent, or during such time as they are in the immediate vicinity of a 

planned launching or recovery area as the result of an invitation by that 

launching State.

Article VIII

1. A State which suffers damage, or whose natural or juridical persons suffer 

damage, may present to a launching State a claim for compensation for such 

damage. 

2. If the State of nationality has not presented a claim, another State may, in 

respect of damage sustained in its territory by any natural or juridical person, 

present a claim to a launching State. 

3. If neither the State of nationality nor the State in whose territory the damage 

was sustained has presented a claim or notified its intention of presenting a 

claim, another State may, in respect of damage sustained by its permanent 

residents, present a claim to a launching State. 

Article IX
A claim for compensation for damage shall be presented to a launching State 

through diplomatic channels. If a State does not maintain diplomatic relations 

with the launching State concerned, it may request another State to present its 

claim to that launching State or otherwise represent its interests under this 

Convention. It may also present its claim through the Secretary-General of the 

United Nations, provided the claimant State and the launching State are both 

Members of the United Nations.

Article X

1. A claim for compensation for damage may be presented to a launching State 

not later than one year following the date of the occurrence of the damage or 

the identification of the launching State which is liable.

2. If, however, a State does not know of the occurrence of the damage or has 

not been able to identify the launching State which is liable, it may present a 

claim within one year following the date on which it learned of the 

aforementioned facts; however, this period shall in no event exceed one year 

following the date on which the State could reasonably be expected to have 

learned of the facts through the exercise of due diligence.

3. The time-limits specified in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall apply even 

if the full extent of the damage may not be known. In this event, however, the 

claimant State shall be entitled to revise the claim and submit additional 

documentation after the expiration of such time-limits until one year after the full 

extent of the damage is known.

Article XI

1. Presentation of a claim to a launching State for compensation for damage 

under this Convention shall not require the prior exhaustion of any local 

remedies which may be available to a claimant State or to natural or juridical 

persons it represents.

2. Nothing in this Convention shall prevent a State, or natural or juridical persons 

it might represent, from pursuing a claim in the courts or administrative tribunals 

or agencies of a launching State. A State shall not, however, be entitled to 

present a claim under this Convention in respect of the same damage for which a 

claim is being pursued in the courts or administrative tribunals or agencies of a 

launching State or under another international agreement which is binding on 

the States concerned.

Article XII

The compensation which the launching State shall be liable to pay for damage 

under this Convention shall be determined in accordance with international law 

and the principles of justice and equity, in order to provide such reparation in 
respect of the damage as will restore the person, natural or juridical, State or 

international organization on whose behalf the claim is presented to the 

condition which would have existed if the damage had not occurred.

Article XIII

Unless the claimant State and the State from which compensation is due under 

this Convention agree on another form of compensation, the compensation shall 

be paid in the currency of the claimant State or, if that State so requests, in the 

currency of the State from which compensation is due.

Article XIV

If no settlement of a claim is arrived at through diplomatic negotiations as 

provided for in Article IX, within one year from the date on which the claimant 

State notifies the launching State that it has submitted the documentation of its 

claim, the parties concerned shall establish a Claims Commission at the request 

of either party.

Article XV

1. The Claims Commission shall be composed of three members: one appointed 

by the claimant State, one appointed by the launching State and the third 

member, the Chairman, to be chosen by both parties jointly. Each party shall 

make its appointment within two months of the request for the establishment of 

the Claims Commission.

2. If no agreement is reached on the choice of the Chairman within four months 

of the request for the establishment of the Commission, either party may request 

the Secretary-General of the United Nations to appoint the Chairman within a 

further period of two months.

Article XVI

1. If one of the parties does not make its appointment within the stipulated 

period, the Chairman shall, at the request of the other party, constitute a singlemember Claims Commission.

2. Any vacancy which may arise in the Commission for whatever reason shall be 

filled by the same procedure adopted for the original appointment.

3. The Commission shall determine its own procedure.

4. The Commission shall determine the place or places where it shall sit and all 

other administrative mattters.

5. Except in the case of decisions and awards by a single-member Commission, 

all decisions and awards of the Commission shall be by majority vote.
Article XVII

No increase in the membership of the Claims Commission shall take place by 

reason of two or more claimant States or launching States being joined in any 

one proceeding before the Commission. The claimant States so joined shall 

collectively appoint one member of the Commission in the same manner and 

subject to the same conditions as would be the case for a single claimant State. 

When two or more launching States are so joined, they shall collectively appoint 

one member of the Commission in the same way. If the claimant States or the 

launching States do not make the appointment within the stipulated period, the 

Chairman shall constitute a single-member Commission.

Article XVIII

The Claims Commission shall decide the merits of the claim for compensation 

and determine the amount of compensation payable, if any.

Article XIX

1. The Claims Commission shall act in accordance with the provisions of Article 

XII.

2. The decision of the Commission shall be final and binding if the parties have 

so agreed; otherwise the Commission shall render a final and recommendatory 

award, which the parties shall consider in good faith. The Commission shall state 

the reasons for its decision or award.

3. The Commission shall give its decision or award as promptly as possible and 

no later than one year from the date of its establishment, unless an extension of 

this period is found necessary by the Commission.

4. The Commission shall make its decision or award public. It shall deliver a 

certified copy of its decision or award to each of the parties and to the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations.

Article XX

The expenses in regard to the Claims Commission shall be borne equally by the 

parties, unless otherwise decided by the Commission.

Article XXI

If the damage caused by a space object presents a large-scale danger to human 

life or seriously interferes with the living conditions of the population or the 

functioning of vital centres, the States Parties, and in particular the launching 

State, shall examine the possibility of rendering appropriate and rapid assistance 

to the State which has suffered the damage, when it so requests. However, 
nothing in this article shall affect the rights or obligations of the States Parties 

under this Convention.

Article XXII

1. In this Convention, with the exception of Articles XXIV to XXVII, references to 

States shall be deemed to apply to any international intergovernmental 

organization which conducts space activities if the organization declares its 

acceptance of the rights and obligations provided for in this Convention and if a 

majority of the States members of the organization are States Parties to this 

Convention and to the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in 

the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial 

Bodies.

2. States members of any such organization which are States Parties to this 

Convention shall take all appropriate steps to ensure that the organization makes 

a declaration in accordance with the preceding paragraph.

3. If an international intergovernmental organization is liable for damage by 

virtue of the provisions of this Convention, that organization and those of its 

members which are States Parties to this Convention shall be jointly and 

severally liable; provided, however, that:

(a) any claim for compensation in respect of such damage shall be first 

presented to the organization;

(b) only where the organization has not paid, within a period of six months, any 

sum agreed or determined to be due as compensation for such damage, may the 

claimant State invoke the liability of the members which are States Parties to this 

Convention for the payment of that sum.

4. Any claim, pursuant to the provisions of this Convention, for compensation in 

respect of damage caused to an organization which has made a declaration in 

accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article shall be presented by a State 

member of the organization which is a State Party to this Convention.

Article XXIII

1. The provisions of this Convention shall not affect other international 

agreements in force in so far as relations between the States Parties to such 

agreements are concerned.

2. No provision of this Convention shall prevent States from concluding 

international agreements reaffirming, supplementing or extending its provisions.

Article XXIV

1. This Convention shall be open to all States for signature. Any State which does 

not sign this Convention before its entry into force in accordance with paragraph 

3 of this article may accede to it at any time.
2. This Convention shall be subject to ratification by signatory States. 

Instruments of ratification and instruments of accession shall be deposited with 

the Governments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 

the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America, which 

are hereby designated the Depositary Governments.

3. This Convention shall enter into force on the deposit of the fifth instrument of 

ratification.

4. For States whose instruments of ratification or accession are deposited 

subsequent to the entry into force of this Convention, it shall enter into force on 

the date of the deposit of their instruments of ratification or accession.

5. The Depositary Governments shall promptly inform all signatory and acceding 

States of the date of each signature, the date of deposit of each instrument of 

ratification of and accession to this Convention, the date of its entry into force 

and other notices.

6. This Convention shall be registered by the Depositary Governments pursuant 

to Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations.

Article XXV

Any State Party to this Convention may propose amendments to this Convention. 

Amendments shall enter into force for each State Party to the Convention 

accepting the amendments upon their acceptance by a majority of the States 

Parties to the Convention and thereafter for each remaining State Party to the 

Convention on the date of acceptance by it.

Article XXVI

Ten years after the entry into force of this Convention, the question of the 

review of this Convention shall be included in the provisional agenda of the 

United Nations General Assembly in order to consider, in the light of past 

application of the Convention, whether it requires revision. However, at any time 

after the Convention has been in force for five years, and at the request of one 

third of the States Parties to the Convention, and with the concurrence of the 

majority of the States Parties, a conference of the States Parties shall be 

convened to review this Convention.

Article XXVII

Any State Party to this Convention may give notice of its withdrawal from the 

Convention one year after its entry into force by written notification to the 

Depositary Governments. Such withdrawal shall take effect one year from the 

date of receipt of this notification.

Article XXVIII
This Convention, of which the English, Russian, French, Spanish and Chinese 

texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited in the archives of the Depositary 

Governments. Duly certified copies of this Convention shall be transmitted by the 

Depositary Governments to the Governments of the signatory and acceding 

States.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, duly authorized thereto, have signed 

this Convention.

DONE in triplicate, at the cities of London, Moscow and Washington, this twentyninth day of March, one thousand nine hundred and seventy-two.