Prohibiting both nuclear weapon and military activity in space made sense given the concerns at the time.
Space warfare treaty install#
First, signatories vowed “not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction, install such weapons on celestial bodies, or station such weapons in outer space in any other manner.” Additionally, the treaty proclaims “the Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used by all States Parties to the Treaty exclusively for peaceful purposes…the establishment of military bases, installations and fortifications, the testing of any type of weapons and the conduct of military maneuvers on celestial bodies shall be forbidden.” Popularly known as “the Outer Space Treaty,” the agreement restricts space activities in two major ways. The first major international agreement governing “nonarmament” in space was signed on January 27, 1967. The militarization of space has been a controversial subject for decades, so it was more than a little surprising when, at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee July 16, Defense Secretary nominee and current Secretary of the Army Mark Esper stated his belief that the United States “need to fully develop the domain of space as a warfighting domain.”