When Nasa landed its NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft on Asteroid 433 Eros in 2001, Gregory W Nemitz issued a $20 parking ticket to the American space agency, claiming the space rock was his private property and that he had submitted related documents with the California secretary of state. Nasa refused to pay, citing lack of legal status.
But was Nemitz wrong in his claim? According to Article II of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which has 109 parties to it and forms the basis of international space law, “Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject
Disclaimer: These are personal views of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper