Topic guide

Outer Space Treaty gaps

Where treaty obligations and national implementation leave unresolved policy questions.

What it is

A treaty gap is not always a legal vacuum. It can be an ambiguity, a mismatch between international obligation and domestic implementation, or a missing procedure for applying a principle to new activity.

Why it matters

Unclear implementation can create uncertainty for states, operators, researchers, and affected publics.

Current governance gap

Articles II, VI, and IX raise practical questions about appropriation, authorization, supervision, due regard, and harmful contamination.

CGI work

OSTGAP examines these issues through a codification-first research pathway.