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The Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space (commonly known as the Registration Convention) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1974[1][2] and went into force in 1976. As of February 2022, it has been ratified by 72 states.[3]
The convention requires states to furnish to the United Nations with details about the orbit of each space object. A registry of launchings was already being maintained by the United Nations as a result of a General Assembly Resolution in 1962.[4][5]
Organizations accepting the rights and obligations
Several intergovernmental organizations, which cannot be party to the Convention, have nonetheless notified the Secretary-General of the United Nations that they have accepted the rights and obligations of the Convention.[3]
Any change of status in operations (e.g., when a space object is no longer functional)
The approximate date of decay or re-entry
The date and physical conditions of moving a space object to a disposal orbit
Web links to official information on space objects
Background
For many years, concern has existed surrounding the growing number of dead or inactive satellites in space. These litter the part of space near geostationary orbit and pose a major threat, as any collision would produce serious damage or loss of satellites.[9] As of 2021, there are nearly 12,000 objects registered in the UNOOSA Online Index of Objects Launched into Outer Space.[10]
Notes
^Belarus signed and ratified the Convention as the Byelorussian SSR, which was a republic within the Soviet Union. The current Belarusian state did not begin to exist until after the dissolution of the Soviet Union on 26 December 1991.
^ abOn 30 March 1978, the United Kingdom declared that the Convention applied to all its territories, including Hong Kong, whose sovereignty was transferred to China on 1 July 1997. China filed a declaration that upon the transfer, the Convention would continue to apply to Hong Kong.
^ abTurkey filed a statement when it acceded to the Convention which implicitly stated that it did not intend for the Convention to be in force with Cyprus. Cyprus objected to the declaration on 21 June 2007 and stated that it would recognize the Convention as being in force with Turkey.
^ abCzechoslovakia signed the Convention on 5 April 1976 and ratified it on 26 July 1977, which was also the date it entered into force for Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia dissolved into the Czech Republic and Slovakia on 31 December 1992.
^East Germany signed the Convention on 27 August 1975 and ratified it on 12 May 1977, which was also the date it entered into force for East Germany. East Germany was absorbed by West Germany (the current German state) on 3 October 1990.
^ abYugoslavia acceded to the Convention on 24 February 1978, which was also the date it entered into force for Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia has since dissolved.
^Ukraine signed and ratified the Convention as the Ukrainian SSR, which was a republic within the Soviet Union. The current Ukrainian state did not begin to exist until after the dissolution of the Soviet Union on 26 December 1991.
Various conventions, treaties, agreements, memorandums, charters or declarations establishing and governing intergovernmental organisations or inter-agency bodies dealing with space affairs