Writers of Outer Space Treaty Responsible for Its Success
By Rebecca Schembri, Harvard University Extension School
The Overview Effect is possible because we made Space a peaceful place.
Here’s how it all began.
The 1967 Outer Space Treaty helped stop a nuclear war. After the Soviet Union started the Space Race in 1955, the United States established NASA as a countermeasure. Then it created two programs: one to put Air Force military in Space, and the other to spy on the Soviet Union from orbit. Tensions between the USSR and the US escalated, and the countries began pointing nuclear weapons at each other. This Cold War threatened humanity with mass destruction.
The Outer Space Treaty discouraged nuclear war by convincing both countries not to place weapons in orbit and to demilitarize the area. Today, all spacefaring countries follow the agreement. Because it was strategically-written, the Outer Space Treaty got international cooperation. The OST articles were short and direct. They showed clarity of purpose. The treaty used inspiring text and precedent to persuade leaders. It gained cooperation by appealing to human values.
The OST was successful because it was concise and easy to navigate. The most complicated part of the treaty was its formal title of twenty-three words. After the title, the OST was not complicated. The document and its articles were brief. It was four pages long and took 6 minutes to read. Compared to the Antarctic Treaty and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Outer Space Treaty was less-intimidating. The OST was half the length of the AT and it was four times shorter than the UNCLOS table of contents. It had 419 fewer articles than UNCLOS — a convention that took 26 years to deliberate. The OST took 10 months. The OST was a simple document.
The treaty was also effective because it mirrored a successful treaty. The Antarctic Treaty was signed and ratified by the US and USSR 6 years before the OST. The OST matched the AT by seeking “peaceful purposes only.” Both treaties called for non-weaponization. Both treaties promoted international cooperation in scientific investigation. Both treaties prohibited land claims. Both treaties prohibited nuclear weapons. In 1961, the US and Soviet Union signed the AT and agreed to peaceful purposes in Antarctica. Both countries decided that some places could be weapons-free. The Antarctic Treaty was longer and older than the Outer Space Treaty. This made the shorter and similar OST easy to accept.
The Outer Space Treaty used human psychology to appeal to leaders. It used science as a unifier. This was persuasive. The OST stated it was “Inspired by the great prospects opening up before [hu]mankind.” This suggested exploration was an opportunity many humans desired. The OST was “Recognizing the common interest of all [hu]mankind.” This reminded countries that many humans wanted to learn new things. The treaty was “Desiring to contribute to broad international co-operation […].” This called for partnership as humans entered outer space.
The OST appealed to a desire to learn and be safe — two evolutionary needs. This was done with relatable words such as common interest and co-operation. The OST used diplomacy to surround the treaty’s main purpose with good outcomes: helping, sharing, cooperating, and being peaceful. Article V required that “In carrying on activities in outer space and on celestial bodies, the astronauts of one State Party shall render assistance to the astronauts of other State Parties.” This was simple: Space explorers must help each other.
The OST called countries to action by compelling them to undertake non-weaponization of Space. Undertake means to commit to something and begin; to take on. Parties to the OST agreed to act by keeping their nuclear weapons confined to Earth. By signing, leaders agreed to make Space peaceful terrain for the good of [hu]mankind. This eliminated land claims and competitiveness in Space.
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Although nuclear prohibition was not the whole agreement, it was the purpose of the treaty. After common ground was established in previous articles, Article IV made the case against nuclear weapons. It read: “State Parties to the Treaty shall undertake not to place in orbit around the earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of mass destruction […].” It highlighted the reason the OST was drafted: to protect Earth from nuclear attack. The OST first identified shared interests between countries, then asked leaders to work together.
The purpose of the United Nations Outer Space Treaty was to deter the Soviet Union and the United States from nuclear war. The writers of the OST appealed to human nature when they offered mutual benefit. This calmed tensions and invited the superpowers to regroup. The Space Race ended in 1975 with a handshake aboard a US-USSR spacecraft. Today the OST is the founding document for Space exploration. It used scientific cooperation as reason to keep weapons of mass destruction out of Space. Leaders agreed. They realized Space was not necessary to win a war. Designating the area for peaceful purposes was a rational and fair plan.
Editor’s note: Because of the Outer Space Treaty, astronauts can look at Earth from Space and realize how lucky humans are. The Overview Effect is possible because of international cooperation to write and sign laws that benefit all humankind.
Sources:
“The Antarctic Treaty.” United Nations, un.org, The Antarctic Treaty, Accessed 2 Oct 2021.
The Antarctic Treaty Depository, United Nations, un.org, The Antarctic Treaty Depository, Accessed 2 Oct 2021.
“45 Years Ago: Historic Handshake in Space.” NASA.gov, 17 July 2020, Historic Space Handshake, Accessed 2 Oct 2021.
“Glossary of Terms Relating to Treaty Actions.” United Nations Treaty Collection, United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, Glossary of Terms, Accessed 2 Oct 2021.
“Status of International Agreements Relating to Activities in Outer Space as of 1 January 2021.” Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, United Nations, Legal Subcommittee, Sixtieth session, Vienna, 31 May–11 June 2021, Status of International Agreements, Accessed 2 Oct 2021.
“The Space Race.” History.com, A & E Television Networks, 22 Feb 2010, Updated 21 Feb 2020, The Space Race, Accessed 2 Oct 2021.
“Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.” United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, Outer Space Treaty, Accessed 2 Oct 2021.
“United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea.” United Nations, un.org, UNCLOS, Accessed 2 Oct 2021.
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