what is an astronaut lawyer

What is the role of astronauts in international law?

Space lawyers draft international treaties and national laws. They advise lawmakers about good policy and whether to enter international agreements. Space lawyers may even help negotiate these agreements. They help government entities and even private companies engaging in space exploration comply with existing laws and treaties.

What does a space lawyer do?

Astronaut’ by Yuri Baturin 5Volume 5, 2020 One of the pressing problems of international manned space exploration is the development of a common understanding of the status of an astronaut, which would become the legal basis

What is the legal status of astronauts?

Answer (1 of 2): As you are considering this question, you are unpassionate with your astronaut dream, at least not enough. Therefore, I will suggest you be a lawyer; a lawyer is more likely to achieve. Let me explain to you why passion is so important …

What is space law?

Nov 24, 2015 · The Interaction of the Definition of Astronaut and International Law. One of the vexing issues facing international space law is the legal status of tourists who will take advantage of commercial spaceflight capabilities both sub-orbital and orbital as they become available. While these capabilities have yet to come on line, some providers are ...

Can a lawyer be an astronaut?

Donald Lee Holmquest (born April 7, 1939) is an American lawyer, physician, electrical engineer, and former NASA astronaut....Donald Holmquest.Donald L. HolmquestAlma materSouthern Methodist, B.S. 1962 Baylor, M.D. 1967, Ph.D. 1968 Houston, J.D. 1988OccupationEngineer, physician, lawyerSpace careerNASA Astronaut15 more rows

What do space lawyers do?

What do space lawyers do? Space lawyers draft international treaties and national laws. They advise lawmakers about good policy and whether to enter international agreements. Space lawyers may even help negotiate these agreements.

Has there ever been a lawyer in space?

A Brief History of Space Law and Earth's First Space Lawyer Andrew G. Haley (1904-1966) is thought to be the first ever practitioner of space law.Apr 4, 2017

Are all astronauts doctors?

At NASA, a number of our astronauts also have been physicians. NASA also has flight surgeons, who specialize in caring for our astronauts. Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space, was also a physician and flew on Space Shuttle Endeavour's STS-47 mission in 1998.Mar 30, 2020

Does NASA employ lawyers?

A: There are 130 lawyers who work for NASA.

Are space lawyers in demand?

Space lawyers will be in demand Given the growth and expansion of the space industry, it follows that space lawyers are expected to be in increasing demand with spaceflight companies, and in more ways than might initially seem apparent.Oct 10, 2021

How do you specialize in space law?

Routes into Space Law Currently there aren't any undergraduate degrees in space law. Instead, you'll need to study for a standard law degree and then specialist after graduation by completing a master's or a PhD. Typically postgraduate courses cover all of aerospace rather than just space.

What does space law prevent?

The five treaties and agreements of international space law cover "non-appropriation of outer space by any one country, arms control, the freedom of exploration, liability for damage caused by space objects, the safety and rescue of spacecraft and astronauts, the prevention of harmful interference with space activities ...

Why do we need space law?

Space law addresses a variety of matters, such as, for example, the preservation of the space and Earth environment, liability for damages caused by space objects, the settlement of disputes, the rescue of astronauts, the sharing of information about potential dangers in outer space, the use of space-related ...

Do you have to be a pilot to be an astronaut?

Flying experience is not a requirement. The Astronaut Candidate Program requires either 2 years of professional related experience, or 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft to meet the minimum qualification requirement. Jet aircraft experience is usually obtained through the military.

How much money does an astronaut?

Astronauts' annual salaries are determined using a government pay scale, and starting out, typically fall under two grades: GS-12 and GS-13. According the US government's 2020 pay scales and a NASA job listing, a civilian astronaut in 2020 can earn between $66,167 and $161,141 per year.May 20, 2020

Is it hard to become an astronaut?

The road to becoming an astronaut is not easy. Even if NASA approves your application, it'll take some time before you actually leave Earth. First, you need to complete two years of basic training. That includes both physical training and classroom studying.Sep 28, 2020

Why do we need space lawyers?

Because many countries in the world have an interest in space exploration, and because space is the final frontier, space law is part science and part politics. Space lawyers spend a lot of their time determining what international agreements should be and how private property and territory rights should work in regards to outer space. Once they answer these questions, they must work to gain international cooperation and agreement on these issues. Finally, space lawyers must work to implement international and domestic laws that relate to space activity and exploration.

Who was the attorney who helped start Aerojet?

In 1942, attorney Andrew G. Haley helped begin the Aerojet company. The company’s founders joked that it was up to Haley to help them behave in outer space. Haley went on to write the treatise Space Law and Government.

Why is space law important?

As technologies and government priorities change, the laws and agreements that govern activity in space must also change. Space lawyers get to be a part of this important work.

What is space law?

Space law is the body of laws, agreements and treaties that govern outer space. Worldwide leaders must grapple with how to regulate activity in space. Space law covers issues like rules for exploration, weapons use, damage for liability, rescue efforts for astronauts in distress, environmental regulations and records of space activity.

When did the United Nations start discussing space?

The United Nations also debated the issues in 1958. In 1959, the United Nations formed the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). COPUOS is the main international group for discussing space activity and its related agreements.

What are the five treaties that govern the exploration and use of outer space?

The first was the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies . The treaties cover topics like the rescue of astronauts, liability issues when space activities cause damage and registration of objects that public bodies and private entities launch into outer space. The agreements discuss appropriating resources. Generally, the treaties have supported the notion that no state should claim sovereignty of any celestial body including the moon. One treaty banned the use of nuclear weapons in space.

Who sets the policy for domestic space?

Domestic space policy is largely in the hands of the United States President. The President negotiates treaties. The President sets policy for domestic space activities pending legislative approval and funding. Space lawyers guide the President with policy recommendations and guidance.

What is the Russian law on space activities?

The Russian Law “On Space Activities” establishes that the procedure for training cosmonauts, the formation of crews, the approval of a manned space flight program, as well as the professional rights and obligations of cosmonauts are determined by contracts (clause 2 of Art. 20). However, the Law is silent about which body should develop such contracts, and in accordance with which laws and regulatory legal acts, these contracts should be prepared.The form of a contract for the implementation of a space flight, adopted in Russia now, has developed historically in the first years of the emergence of new Russian statehood, in a dicult economic situation and in the face of multitaps within legislation. Thus, the form and content of the space flight contract are not approved today by any regulatory legal act, in connection with which the legal force of the concluded contracts is flawed, and the contracts themselves are easily disputable. Therefore, space practice really needs a Model Contract for the implementation of a space flight, which would be approved by the authorized body for space activities. On its basis, a contract for a manned space flight for each crew member could be developed.

What is the meaning of the term "cosmonaut"?

For the first time in a multilateral (multilingual) treaty, the notion “cosmonaut” (in the English text — “astronaut”; is used in Anglo-Saxon countries and the Romance languages) was stipulated in the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (hereinafter — the 1967 Outer Space Treaty), namely in its Article V.

What is serious problem field?

serious problem field is the life and health insurance of the astronaut from the day he was appointed to the full-time position of the astronaut until the end of his professional activity. The insurer of the astronaut will be the authorized body for space activities or an organization authorized by him. The policyholder is obliged to provide timely insurance for the astronaut. The insurer of the astronaut becomes the insurance organization selected by the authorized body for space activities on the basis of the competition, having an appropriate license, and concluding an insurance contract with the insured. Beneficiaries for cosmonaut insurance are persons defined by national law or an international legal agreement.

Is an astronaut a labor or professional?

Until now, we have considered the legal status of an astronaut as labor and professional status. If an international agreement on the status of an astronaut will be adopted, then it will automatically become international legal status. Taking into account that today almost all space crews are international, it is advisable for each launching state to give its astronauts the status of the representative: “An astronaut of State N, who is outside his state in preparation for a manned space flight, when performing a manned space flight on a foreign manned spaceship, as well as in the implementation of other professional activities abroad, is a representative of its state, which delegated to astronaut the appropriate rights assigned to it responsibilities defined representational status astronaut abroad, and provides the necessary medical support, insurance, financing, and other elements of the status of representative of State N.” In the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, astronauts are regarded as the envoys of mankind. This formula appeared to ensure legal protection for the astronauts who, as a result of off-nominal landing, found themselves in another state’s territory. Precise formulas, however, always hide the new meanings too.