thespacereview.com
The Space Review: Ownership without oversight: Australia’s on-orbit supervision gap
Under Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty, Australia bears international responsibility for all national activities in space, including those of its private entities, and the obligation to authorize and continually supervise them. Australian law does not currently provide the means to do so, leaving the nation internationally responsible for an activity it has no legal power to supervise. This article examines that gap and proposes a three-layer framework—mutual recognition with trusted partners, performance bonds for higher risk cases, and accountability for Australian sellers—to close it.
