Spacecraft Accountability

[St Oz]

Spacecraft Accountability
A resolution to increase the quality of the world's environment, at the expense of industry.
 
Category: Environmental

Industry Affected: All Businesses

Proposed by: Aclany

NOTING how nations with larger space programs are not held accountable for causing harm to the environments of those less astro-orientated.
BELIEVING a resolution must be passed forcing such nations to pay compensation to such nations
ACKNOWLEDGING that it is not necessarily the direct fault of the nation's space program that their craft has fallen, but
UNDERSTANDING the nation responsible for fallen craft should be held accountable for the removal of wreckage and compensation.

'Spacecraft' hereby defines any vehicle, vessel, or machine designed to operate in space, both manned and unmanned.
‘Space’ hereby defines the vacuum that exists between celestial bodies, starting 100km above sea level of a given planet- if the planet does not have a sea level, the nation’s own definition of outer space shall be used
The following conditions apply only to spacecraft within one light year of another Nation State.
Countries which are not in the ‘space age’ (i.e. capable of producing spacecraft describe above) are required to agree to these arrangements on the condition they will come into effect once it does reach said age.

1.The World Assembly hereby creates the Space-Damage Insurance system (herein referred to as SDI). All nations are required to join the SDI, and fall under its jurisdiction via the following legal enforcements. Nations planning to launch spacecraft are required to carry out risk assessment to determine the likelihood of their craft falling out of orbit, or otherwise failing on launch or re-entry. Following an incident related to one or all of these issues the SDI shall carry out an investigation and determine appropriate compensation.

2.A guideline is hereby published for lawyers working within the SDI with regards to determining compensation paid, via the following parameters, with the amount of compensation needed decreasing with each level:
•   HIGH DAMAGE: Destruction of or damage to human life or any life considered intelligent, sentient beings.
•   MEDIUM DAMAGE: Destruction of or damage to buildings and transport links, destruction/damage to wildlife habitats
•   LOW DAMAGE:Other minor damage.
The nation responsible is required to pay sufficient compensation relative to the severity of the damage.

If the spacecraft was the product of a state-run space organisation, the government of the nation will pay the necessary fees. If it were non-government, the private enterprise responsible will pay damages, and be subject in future to the observation of the SDI, as well as being required to appoint internal monitors, in the aim of improving the company's risk assessment process, and the safety of its craft.

3.Nations who commit any of their federal budget on a national space program are required pay in to the maintenance of SDI (proportionate to their spending, i.e. a nation paying 10% will make a larger contribution than those at 3%). In nations where private enterprise is dominant, leading aeronautic industries in such nations will pay in to the program depending on their size.

4.Requiring the aforementioned high spenders on space programs to also invest into environmental preservation research, helping not only to improve reliability of spacecraft, but also into rebuilding areas damaged by fallen spacecraft. Again, responsibility for this investment will fall either on the state, or largest private spacecraft constructors, helping improve their reliability, hence reducing their long term costs.

The nation of St Oz votes for, as then other nations cost of traveling to space will increase and decrease the competition of space travel.

[Delfos]

This is such a specific industry that it should be compensated at cost of other industries, yet in the end it doesn't really matter in NS, the whole economy suffers. By principle I'd be for, I'm not afraid of enforcing environmentalism against liberal industry, everybody wins one way or another, except in direct economy.

[Delfos]

final vote for.