The 1970s
1970
Japan (11 February) and China (24 April) launch their first satellites
Articles
A. DUPAS
“Asia in Space: The awakening of China and Japan
Space Policy, Volume 4, Issue 1, February 1988, pp. 31-40.
Useful links
1971
The establishment of the United Nation Programme on Space Applications, the launch of the first USSR Salyut Station (19 April-11 October), the launch of United Kingdom’s first satellite (28 October) and the establishment of INTERSPUTNIK (15 November)
Documents
Mandate of the Programme on Space Applications
Useful links
INTERSPUTNIK website
INTERSPUTNIK Holding website
UN Programme on Space Applications (OOSA website)
1972
The Liability Convention
Documents
Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects
1975
The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (15-24 July), the merger of ESRO and ELDO into ESA and the Registration Convention.
Documents
Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space
Draft Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space
Journal of Space Law, Volume 1, 1973.
National Security Decision Memorandum 70 (10 July 1970)
Books
“Twenty Years of the ESA Convention”
Proceedings of an International Symposium, Munich, Germany, 4-6 September 1995
ESA SP-387, 1995.
E. C. EZELL, L. N. EZELL
“The Partnership: A History of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project”
NASA SP-4209, Washington DC, 1978.
W. FROEHLICH
“Apollo Soyuz”
NASA EP-109, Washington DC, 1976.
J. KRIGE, A. RUSSO
“A History of the European Space Agency: 1958-1987. Volume II: The Story of ESA, 1973 to 1987”
ESA Publication Division, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 2000.
A. L. LEBEDEV, A. P. ROMANOV
“Rendezvous in Space: Soyuz Apollo”
Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1979.
C. M. LEE (eds.)
“Apollo Soyuz Mission Report”
Univelt, San Diego, CA, 1976.
C. REDMOND
“NASA History Website
“The Flight of Apollo Soyuz”
Useful links
ESA History website
NASA History Division on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
Online Index of Objects Launched into Outer Space (OOSA website)
1976
The first landing of a spaceship on Mars (20 July) and the establishment of INMARSAT (3 September)
Documents
Documents of the International Conference on the Establishment of an International Maritime Satellite System
Journal of Space Law, Volume 4, n. 2, Fall 1976, pp. 135-164.
Articles
S. E. DOYLE
“INMARSAT: The International Maritime Satellite
Organization-Origins and Structure”
Journal of Space Law, Volume 5, Numbers 1-2, Spring and Fall 1977, pp. 45-64.
Useful links
1977
Establishment of EUTELSAT and the launch of the Voyager twin space probes to explore the solar system (5 September)
Documents
Convention Establishing the European Telecommunications Satellite Organization EUTELSAT
Books
A. J. BUTRICA
“Voyager: The Gran Tour of Big Science”
In P. E. MACK (ed.) “From Engineering Science to Big Science”, cap. 10
NASA Hisory website
S. COURTEIX
“EUTELSAT: Europe’s Satellite Telecommunications”
5 Michigan Yearbook of International Legal Studies 85, 1984.
Useful Links
1978
The crash of USSR’s Cosmos 954 satellite on Canada (24 January) and the launch of the first satellite of the GPS system (22 February)
Documents
Settlement of Claim between Canada and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for Damage Caused by "Cosmos 954" (2 April 1981)
Books
“Astronautics and Aeronautics”, 1978: A Chronology”
NASA History Series, NASA History Office, Washington, 1986.
Useful links
List of Reported Space Objects Discovered by Member States within their Territories (OOSA website)
1979
The Moon Agreement, the establishment of the Conference on Disarmamentand the launch of the first European rocket (Ariane 1, 24 December)
Documents
Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies
Draft Treaty Relating to the Moon
Journal of Space Law, Volume 1, 1973.
Books
W. HUON
"Ariane, une épopée européenne"
ETAI, 2007.
Useful links
BBC on this day: 24 December 1979
Conference on Disarmament – United Nations Office at Geneva (CD-UNOG)
IISL-ECSL Symposium 2009 on the 30th anniversary of the Moon Agreement- Programme