Very basic launch question

LBorth:
I understand that the FAA issues launch licenses for rockets in the
US, but is their an international body that governs launches to space?
For instance, if the Chinese were launch the Shenzhou V in late
October, do they have to alert an international body of their
intentions or can they go ahead with a launch as long as they are not
exiting China's airspace before reaching space (attaining the 100km
limit or boundary of space)?
-----
Not governs, but the UN does ask countries to play nice.
http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/COPUOS/copuos.html

More to the point you would want to keep the various
world powers informed, provide some cursory inspection
(possibly a few representative observers), and be generous
with tracking information. The thought of scrambling all
the long range bombers and putting ICBMs on alert just
because you didn’t want to tell foreign governments is
not a good option.

You also will find large-scale blasting of coal overburden
occurs with international communications as the seismic
signature looks very similar to underground nuclear
testing. The world is still a nervous place where events and
intention are often misinterpreted.
--
Anvil*

(Henry Spencer) wrote in message ...
In article ,
LBorth wrote:
I understand that the FAA issues launch licenses for rockets in the
US, but is their an international body that governs launches to space?

No. There is an international procedure for *notification* of launches,
which most countries abide by, but no international regulatory authority.

Henry,

Could you take a moment to be more specific about the "international
procedure of launches, which most countries abide by?" Do you know
off-hand if China has abided by this procedure? I know they're rumours
that China is going to launch its Shenzhou vessel again soon, and it's
in this context that I'm asking the question.

Thanks,

Lindsay

In article ,
LBorth wrote:
No. There is an international procedure for *notification* of launches,
which most countries abide by, but no international regulatory authority.

Could you take a moment to be more specific about the "international
procedure of launches, which most countries abide by"?

To quote Article IV of the CONVENTION ON REGISTRATION OF OBJECTS LAUNCHED
INTO OUTER SPACE (1975):

1. Each State of registry shall furnish to the Secretary-General of the
United Nations, as soon as practicable, the following information
concerning each space object carried on its registry:
(a) Name of launching State or States;
(b) An appropriate designator of the space object or its registration
number;
(c) Date and territory or location of launch;
(d) Basic orbital parameters, including:
(i) Nodal period,
(ii) Inclination,
(iii) Apogee,
(iv) Perigee;
(e) General function of the space object.

I believe all the current spacefaring nations are signatories to this,
although the level of enthusiasm shown in conformance varies. One major
complication is the question of who should register satellites owned by
international entities like Intelsat, or even satellites owned by one
country but launched by another, and this sometimes causes satellites to
"fall down the cracks".

Do you know off-hand if China has abided by this procedure?

In general, yes, they have. Most of the spacefaring nations have been a
bit sloppy about compliance at times, but the major recent cases of
apparently-deliberate non-compliance are all by the US (which has quite
consistently failed to register some of its military satellites).
--
MOST launched 1015 EDT 30 June, separated 1046, | Henry Spencer
first ground-station pass 1651, all nominal! |

"Henry Spencer" wrote ...

In general, yes, they have. Most of the spacefaring nations have been a
bit sloppy about compliance at times, but the major recent cases of
apparently-deliberate non-compliance are all by the US (which has quite
consistently failed to register some of its military satellites).

Jonathan (of Jonathan's space report) has a couple of relevant links
(as I'm sure you know, but I thought it was worth adding to the thread).

Paper 1: Unregistered Satellites (Updated Jun 2003)
http://planet4589.org/space/un/un_paper1.html

Paper 2: UN data on US Military Satellites
http://planet4589.org/space/un/un_paper2.html