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Bayar Goswami\n\nOne of the earliest characteristics of human civilisation (large populations living together in organised cities) was the creation of rules or laws that everyone who lived there agreed to abide by.\n\nThe 50th anniversary of first humans to\xa0visit the Moon is celebrated later this year. In 1968 it was pretty much just two countries and a few space missions per year. Today, over 70 countries have\xa0something in the way of a space programme and along with a blossoming private space sector,\xa0space is likely to become very busy in the next decade or so. This surge of space activity will determine how the laws in space will apply and begin to set the scene\xa0for human civilisation\xa0beyond Earth.\xa0 \xa0On earth, most nations follow\xa0international laws most of the time.\n\nInternational rules for operating in space were defined by the UN in five treaties established between 1967 - 1984.\n\n \t1967 \u2013 The Outer Space Treaty:\xa0Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.\n \t1968 - Rescue Agreement.\xa0Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space.\n \t1972 -\xa0The Liability agreement.\xa0Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects.\n \t1976 \u2013 The Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space.\n \t1984 \u2013 The Moon Treaty.\xa0Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.\n\nHow will these laws fair in space? For example, will all\xa0governments\n\n \t\u201cauthorise and supervise\u201d their\xa0 \u201cnon-governmental entities\u201d in space?\n \tcomply with international liabilities for physical damages caused by their space objects?\n \tagree on who can build what and where on the\xa0Moon?\n \testablish mining and ownership rights to materials on the Moon and other celestial\xa0bodies?\n \tmaintain the principles of human rights in space.\n\nThese are some of the questions I discuss\xa0with\xa0\xa0Bayar Goswami, a Doctoral student at the Institute of Air and Space Law, McGill University (IASL) in Canada. A TedX speaker, Bayar has an interest\xa0in space as well as law and I started by asking him what came first.\nThe distinction between terms, such as signed, ratified and accessioned, is described here.\xa0A status of which nations have signed which treaty is maintained by the UN here. A summary of the five treaties\xa0is available here.