The Vertical Limit of State Sovereignty

Abstract

There is no international agreement on the vertical limit of State sovereignty, the boundary between territorial airspace and outer space. The need for defining this boundary has been debated for over 50 years. Today, the need to settle this gap in the law is growing in importance. This thesis concludes that setting a low vertical limit on State sovereignty is the best approach because it will allow all States free access to space and enable uniform international rules to be set at a relatively low altitude. Chapter 1 discusses territorial sovereignty and examines the evolution of vertical sovereignty. It then compares this to the evolution of the law governing territorial seas and concludes by examining the airspace laws of several States. Chapter II reviews the reasons demarcation is important. Chapter III discusses past proposals for demarcation and recommends setting a low vertical limit on State sovereignty.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2005
Accession Number
ADA436627

Entities

People

  • Dean N. Reinhardt

Organizations

  • McGill University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircraft Industry
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Airships
  • Astronautics
  • Commercial Aircraft
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Hypersonic Aircraft
  • International Law
  • International Relations
  • Law
  • Rocket Engines
  • Rockets
  • Space Transportation
  • Spacecraft

Readers

  • Asian Economic Studies
  • Fluid Dynamics.
  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Space