Global Times answers readers' questions: Who manages the International Space Station?

Editorial Comrade:There are reports that a coolant leak occurred recently in the Russian operated section of the International Space Station. Excuse me, how is the International Space Station classified and managed?Jiangsu Reader Wang BinThe International Space Station is located in Earth's low Earth orbit and is the world's largest modular space station

Editorial Comrade:

There are reports that a coolant leak occurred recently in the Russian operated section of the International Space Station. Excuse me, how is the International Space Station classified and managed?

Jiangsu Reader Wang Bin

The International Space Station is located in Earth's low Earth orbit and is the world's largest modular space station. Since the launch of the first component of the space station, the "Dawn" functional cargo compartment, in 1998, the International Space Station has grown into a behemoth of 73 meters, 109 meters wide, and 420 tons in weight. The International Space Station is roughly divided into two parts, with the Russian orbital segment operated by Russia, including six habitable modules; The US orbital segment is operated by the United States, Japan, Canada, and the European Space Agency, with 7 habitable modules.

According to the Outer Space Treaty adopted by the United Nations in 1966, outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, cannot be claimed by national sovereignty or through any means. In addition, the jurisdiction and control of the space station and astronauts belong to their respective countries. In short, a space station is to space what ships are to the high seas. Due to the involvement of multiple countries in the establishment of the International Space Station, it is not possible to simply divide ownership and require more complex mechanisms for joint management.

Since 1998, the governments of 15 countries, including Russia and the United States, have successively signed documents such as the Intergovernmental Agreement on the International Space Station, bilateral memorandums of understanding, and the Code of Conduct for International Space Station Personnel, which stipulate a large number of laws and regulations that space station astronauts need to comply with, including the laws of their respective countries, astronaut disciplinary policies, and flight rules, and establish a set of management and coordination mechanisms.

The International Space Station Multilateral Coordinating Board (MCB) is the highest level cooperative agency for space station projects. The Multilateral Crew Operations Group (MCOP) adopts a rotating chairman system, responsible for assigning flight opportunities and other matters to the crew. During the flight, the commander of the International Space Station is the highest authority of the onboard crew, and all crew members, including space tourists, must obey the commander's orders.

The above documents do not specify punishment measures for specific behaviors, and most of the issues are handled by management mechanisms. Besides the mechanism, passengers are also bound by the laws of their home country. For example, under US law, violating regulations can result in fines, imprisonment for up to 1 year, or both. (Tong Yunchong)

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