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Space Law in Movies and Series: A Demonstration and Prediction of Its Application and Evolution

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Outer Space and Popular Culture

Part of the book series: Southern Space Studies ((SOSPST))

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Abstract

Outer space is widely democratized thanks to the movie industry. Every space activity has been discussed on a cinema screen, or on Netflix. Space law is never the main topic of a Hollywood production, but is always present in the background. Studying this background is a good way to be introduced to space law, and even to question today’s space behaviour, how states conduct their activities, and how they interact with each other and their environment. Movies and series on space hazards is a pretty accurate representation of current space and international law. Productions on space activities in development (space stations, exploitation, space war) are great to understand the challenges states and the industry face today. Fiction on future space activities that we are not able to conduct today (finding aliens, colonisation) allow us to imagine how space law will evolve. Finally, as a species, we will have to determine how we want to act in outer space when we will be an interplanetary species.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Cuarón, Alfonso, Gravity, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2013.

  2. 2.

    ESA, “Space Environment Statistics”, 7 novembre 2022, https://sdup.esoc.esa.int/discosweb/statistics/ (all websites cited in this publication were last accessed and verified on 10 June 2023).

  3. 3.

    Treaty on principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, UNTC n° 610, p. 205 (1967), Article VIII.

  4. 4.

    United Nations General Assembly, International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space, A/RES/62/217 (2007).

  5. 5.

    IADC Space debris mitigation guidelines, IADC-02-01 (revision 2) (2020).

  6. 6.

    Space Industry Debris Mitigation Recommendations, World Economic Forum (2023).

  7. 7.

    United Nations General Assembly, Destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite missile testing, A/RES/77/41 (2022).

  8. 8.

    Treaty on principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, UNTC n° 610, p. 205 (1967), Article VI.

  9. 9.

    Ibid., Article VII.

  10. 10.

    Ibid., Article V.

  11. 11.

    Agreement on the rescue of astronauts, the return of astronauts and the return of objects launched into outer space, UNTC n° 670, p. 119 (1968).

  12. 12.

    Bay, Michael, Armageddon, Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, 1998.

  13. 13.

    McKay, Adam, Don’t Look Up, Netflix, 2021.

  14. 14.

    Treaty on principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, UNTC n° 610, p. 205 (1967), Article IV.

  15. 15.

    The Artemis Accords: Principles for Cooperation in the Civil Exploration and Use of the Moon, Mars, Comets, and Asteroids for Peaceful Purposes (2020).

  16. 16.

    Gray, James, Ad Astra, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2019.

  17. 17.

    Abdu Jyothi, Sangeetha, ‘Solar Superstorms: Planning for an Internet Apocalypse’, in Proceedings of the 2021 ACM SIGCOMM 2021 Conference, SIGCOMM ’21, pp. 692–704, 2021.

  18. 18.

    Woodhams, Samuel, and Simon Migliano, ‘Government Internet Shutdowns Cost $24.7 Billion in 2022’, TOP10VPN, 3 January 2023, www.top10vpn.com/research/cost-of-internet-shutdowns/2022/.

  19. 19.

    Scott, Ridley, The Martian, 20th Century Fox, 2015.

  20. 20.

    Treaty on principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, UNTC n° 610, p. 205 (1967), Article II.

  21. 21.

    Ibid., Article V.

  22. 22.

    Ibid., Article II.

  23. 23.

    Australian Museum, ‘Terra Nullius’, 9 September 2021, https://australian.museum/learn/first-nations/unsettled/recognising-invasions/terra-nullius/.

  24. 24.

    United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, UNTC n° 1833, p. 3, 1834; p. 3, 1835 3 (1982).

  25. 25.

    Hang-Yong, Choi, The Silent Sea, Netflix, 2021.

  26. 26.

    The Artemis Accords: Principles for Cooperation in the Civil Exploration and Use of the Moon, Mars, Comets, and Asteroids for Peaceful Purposes (2020), Section 11.

  27. 27.

    Agreement governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, UNTC n° 1363, p. 3 (1979), Article 4.

  28. 28.

    By the 1st January 2022, 18 States had accepted the Moon Agreement. Saudi Arabia was the last State to withdraw its acceptance (effective January 5, 2024), United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, ‘Status of International Agreements Relating to Activities in Outer Space’, www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/status/index.html.

  29. 29.

    Treaty on principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, UNTC n° 610, p. 205 (1967), Article IV.

  30. 30.

    Ibid., Articles VI, VIII.

  31. 31.

    “there shall be free access to all areas of celestial bodies”.

  32. 32.

    Treaty on principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, UNTC n° 610, p. 205 (1967), Article III.

  33. 33.

    Charter of the United Nations (1945), Article 2.4.

  34. 34.

    Agreement governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, UNTC n° 1363, p. 3 (1979), Article 11.5.

  35. 35.

    It is even an international obligation, as stated in the Charter of the United Nations, Article 2.3: “All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.”

  36. 36.

    Title 51—National and Commercial Space Programs, United-States, Pub. L. 111–314, Section 3 18 December 2010.

  37. 37.

    Law of July 20th 2017 on the exploration and use of space resources, Luxembourg, Memorial A n° 674 of 2017, p. 1, 20 July 2017.

  38. 38.

    Federal Law on the Regulation of the Space Sector, United Arab Emirates, No. (12) of 2019, 10 December 2019.

  39. 39.

    Act on the Promotion of Business Activities for the Exploration and Development of Space Resources, Japan, No. 83 of 2021, 23 June 2021.

  40. 40.

    Scott, Ridley, Alien, 20th Century Fox, 1979.

  41. 41.

    Cameron, James, Avatar, 20th Century Fox, 2009.

  42. 42.

    Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, UNTC n° 78, p. 277 (1948), Article II.

  43. 43.

    Geneva Convention relative to the protection of civilian persons in time of war, UNTC n° 75, p. 287 (1949).

  44. 44.

    Cameron, James, Avatar: The Way of Water, 20th Century Studios, 2022.

  45. 45.

    Villeneuve, Denis, Dune, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2021.

  46. 46.

    Treaty on principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, UNTC n° 610, p. 205 (1967), Article IX.

  47. 47.

    Charter of the United Nations (1945), Article 2.4.

  48. 48.

    Lucas, George, J. J. Abrams, Gareth Edwards, Ron Howard, and Rian Johnson, Star Wars (Skywalker Saga), 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Studios motion Picture, 1977–2019.

  49. 49.

    Charter of the United Nations (1945), Article 42.

  50. 50.

    Ibid., Article 51.

  51. 51.

    United Nations General Assembly, Question of the peaceful use of outer space, A/RES/1348(XIII) (1958).

  52. 52.

    Treaty on principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, UNTC n° 610, p. 205 (1967), Article IV.

  53. 53.

    Ibid., Article IX.

  54. 54.

    Intervention de Florence Parly, Ministre Des Armées (CNES Toulouse 07/09/18), Youtube, CNES, 2018, www.youtube.com/live/VkfPp1igwNo?feature=share.

  55. 55.

    Geneva Convention relative to the protection of civilian persons in time of war, UNTC n° 75, p. 287 (1949), Article 53.

  56. 56.

    Besson, Luc, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, EuropaCorp Distribution, 2017.

  57. 57.

    Nolan, Christopher, Interstellar, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2014.

  58. 58.

    Allen, Irwin, Lost in Space, Netflix, 2018–2021.

  59. 59.

    United Nations General Assembly, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, A/RES/217(III) (1948), Article I.

  60. 60.

    Tyldum, Morten, Passengers, Sony Pictures Releasing, 2016.

  61. 61.

    Treaty on principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, UNTC n° 610, p. 205 (1967), Article VI.

  62. 62.

    Stanton, Andrew, WALL-E, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2008.

  63. 63.

    Hobe, Stephan, Bernhard Schmidt-Tedd, and Kai-Uwe Schrogl, Cologne Commentary on Space Law: Vol. 1, Outer Space Treaty, 1st edition, Köln: Heymanns, Carl, 2009, p. 243 (34).

  64. 64.

    Agreement among the Government of Canada, Governments of Member States of the European Space Agency, the Government of Japan, the Government of the Russian Federation, and the Government of the United States of America concerning cooperation on the Civil International Space Station (1998), Article 5.

  65. 65.

    Radio Regulations annexed to the International Telecommunication Convention, UNTC n° 194 p. 3 (1947), Article 9.

  66. 66.

    Convention on Rights and Duties of States adopted by the Seventh International Conference of of American States, UNTC n° 165, p. 19 (1933).

  67. 67.

    Charter of the United Nations (1945), Article 2.4.

  68. 68.

    United Nations General Assembly, Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, A/RES/15/1514 (1960).

  69. 69.

    Accordance with international law of the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo, Advisory Opinion, (International Court of Justice 22 July 2010), I.C.J. Reports 2010, p. 403, Section 80.

  70. 70.

    Spielberg, Steven, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Universal Pictures, 1982.

  71. 71.

    Espinosa, Daniel, Life, Sony Pictures Releasing, 2017.

  72. 72.

    “In the exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, States (...) shall be guided by the principle of cooperation and mutual assistance”.

  73. 73.

    Treaty on principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, UNTC n° 610, p. 205 (1967), Article V.

  74. 74.

    Bay, Michael, and Steven Caple Jr, Transformers, Paramount Pictures, 2007–2023.

  75. 75.

    Snyder, Zack, Man of Steel, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2013.

  76. 76.

    Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, UNTC n° 1155, p. 331 (1969), Article 11.

  77. 77.

    Case concerning military and paramilitary activities in and against Nicaragua (Nicaragua v. United States of America) (International Court of Justice 27 June 1986), I.C.J. Reports 1986, p. 14.

  78. 78.

    Charter of the United Nations (1945), Article 2.1.

  79. 79.

    Shipenko, Klim, The Challenge, Central Partnership, 2023.

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  1. University of Paris-Saclay, IDEST, Sceaux, France

    Quentin Gueho

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Correspondence to Quentin Gueho .

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  1. University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa

    Annette Froehlich

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Gueho, Q. (2024). Space Law in Movies and Series: A Demonstration and Prediction of Its Application and Evolution. In: Froehlich, A. (eds) Outer Space and Popular Culture. Southern Space Studies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51425-8_1

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