but what happens to the old ones?

但舊的會怎樣？

Space is getting crowded...

空間越來越擁擠...

so we'll show you what the law says about who is responsible

是以，我們將向你展示法律對誰負責的規定。

and what happens if things start crashing into each other.

以及如果事情開始相互碰撞會發生什麼。

Is space junk putting our way of life at risk?

空間垃圾是否使我們的生活方式處於危險之中？

And what happened when NASA's Skylab fell from the sky...

當美國宇航局的 "天空實驗室 "從空中墜落時，又發生了什麼？

The European Space Agency estimates there are currently

歐洲航天局估計目前有

170 million bits of rubbish orbiting the Earth.

1.7億比特的垃圾在地球上運行。

How did they get there?

他們是如何到達那裡的？

And could they be a more serious problem than you think?

而且它們可能是一個比你想象的更嚴重的問題？

Space travel is not something to take for granted.

太空旅行不是理所當然的事情。

It could actually become impossible,

它實際上可能變得不可能。

dramatically impacting our daily lives.

顯著地影響著我們的日常生活。

In 1978, NASA scientist Donald J Kessler predicted

1978年，美國宇航局的科學家唐納德-J-凱斯勒預測說

that as we keep launching things into orbit,

在我們不斷向軌道發射東西的時候。

more and more of them could hit each other,

越來越多的人可以互相撞擊。

breaking up into smaller bits.

分解成更小的碎片。

Those bits hit other objects and break again...

這些碎片撞到其他物體上，再次破碎......

...and again.

......再來。

Eventually, the amount of space debris

最終，空間碎片的數量

could make it unsafe for any space travel –

可能會使它對任何太空旅行都不安全 --

or even satellites for things like GPS,

甚至是用於像GPS這樣的東西的衛星。

television, or weather forecasts.

電視，或天氣預報。

This is called the Kessler syndrome.

這被稱為凱斯勒綜合徵。

Professor Moriba Jah is taking this very seriously.

莫里巴-賈教授正在非常認真地對待此事。

His map tracks all known human-made objects in space

他的地圖追蹤了太空中所有已知的人類製造的物體

to help scientists monitor and predict their behaviour.

以幫助科學家監測和預測他們的行為。

This is what I call a super-spreader event:

這就是我所說的超級散播者事件。

large rocket bodies that have been up there for decades,

大型火箭體，已經在上面呆了幾十年了。

that are pretty much ticking time-bombs

是相當多的定時炸彈

and that at some point, they will either explode

並在某一時刻，它們要麼會爆炸

or something will hit them

否則會有東西砸到他們

and they'll become many tens of thousands of pieces.

而它們會變成許多幾萬件。

The map is tracking 200 potential 'super-spreader events'.

該地圖正在追蹤200個潛在的 "超級散播者事件"。

These rocket bodies belong to at least three different countries.

這些火箭體至少屬於三個不同的國家。

So, with the danger of satellites crashing increasing,

是以，隨著衛星墜毀的危險越來越大。

here's space lawyer Jessica Noble

這裡是太空律師傑西卡-諾貝爾

to explain what that means and who is responsible.

來解釋這意味著什麼，誰來負責。

Right now, if...

眼下，如果...

if a satellite crashes into another...

如果一顆衛星撞上另一顆

another object, whether that is in space or on Earth,

另一個物體，無論是在太空還是在地球上。

the state that launched that satellite is the one

發射該衛星的國家是一個

who is responsible for that damage and for any clean-up.

誰對該損害和任何清理負責。

However, right now there are no explicit laws

然而，現在還沒有明確的法律

regarding removal of debris or dead satellites in orbit.

關於清除軌道上的碎片或死亡衛星。

However, there have been norms and guidelines

然而，已經有了一些規範和準則

that states have been working on to address that very issue.

各州一直在努力解決這個問題。

When a country launches a satellite, it is responsible for it

當一個國家發射衛星時，它要對其負責。

and any damage it might cause,

以及它可能造成的任何損害。

though the law does not fully address this issue yet.

儘管法律還沒有完全解決這個問題。

What about the environment in space?

太空中的環境如何？

Does the law protect it from damage?

法律是否保護它免受損害？

In the Outer Space Treaty, one of the articles addresses

在《外層空間條約》中，有一項條款涉及到

protection of the outer space environment

外層空間環境的保護

and requires that states conducting activities

並要求開展活動的國家

in outer space do so in a manner

在外太空中以如下方式進行

which avoids harmful contamination of the...

這就避免了有害的汙染...

the moon and other celestial bodies.

月球和其他天體。

However, this term 'harmful contamination' is not really...

然而，這個術語 "有害汙染 "並不是真正...

is not well understood at this point.

在這一點上還不太瞭解。

We don't know exactly what that means,

我們不知道這到底意味著什麼。

as it relates to conducting activities in outer space

因為它涉及到在外層空間開展的活動

and that's something that we're...

而這是我們...

there we're trying to figure out right now.

我們現在正試圖弄清楚。

The Outer Space Treaty, one of the oldest bits of international space law,

外層空間條約》是國際空間法中最古老的部分之一。

was created to protect the space environment,

是為了保護空間環境而設立的。

but it's not exactly clear on what it means about pollution.

但它對汙染的含義並不完全清楚。

So, has the situation changed since the treaty was written?

那麼，自條約制定以來，情況是否發生了變化？

Is it still good enough?

它仍然足夠好嗎？

The treaty might have come about in 1967,

該條約可能是在1967年產生的。

but the authors of the treaty did a good job

但條約的制定者做了很好的工作

of leaving the language broad enough

的語言足夠廣泛

to account for different types of activities in space.

以說明空間中不同類型的活動。

It is still the backbone of all of our activities

它仍然是我們所有活動的骨幹。

around the globe, in space,

在全球範圍內，在太空中。

and has provided a good platform for those activities.

併為這些活動提供了一個良好的平臺。

There's always room for... for change

總是有......變化的空間

when we think about norms

當我們考慮到規範的時候

or how we approach those activities,

或我們如何對待這些活動。

but the treaty itself as the foundational law

但是條約本身作為基礎法律

is still relevant and still applicable today.

在今天仍有意義，仍然適用。

Jessica's opinion is that the Outer Space Treaty was written in a way

傑西卡的觀點是，《外空條約》的編寫方式是

that makes it flexible enough to cope with all the changes

這使得它有足夠的靈活性來應對所有的變化。

and the new problems we face in space.

以及我們在太空中面臨的新問題。

So, laws make it clear who's responsible for crashes,

是以，法律明確規定誰對車禍負責。

but there's still work to be done on pollution.

但在汙染方面仍有工作要做。

But what happens when something falls out of orbit...

但是，當有東西掉出軌道時會發生什麼呢？

...and down to Earth?

...和腳踏實地？

That's exactly what happened to the US space laboratory Skylab.

這正是美國空間實驗室Skylab的情況。

At the end of its life in 1979,

在1979年其壽命結束時。

it was supposed to break apart and fall into the sea.

它應該破裂並落入大海。

That didn't go to plan.

這並沒有按計劃進行。

Most of it did end up in the Indian Ocean,

它的大部分確實最終進入了印度洋。

but some, including this bit, landed in Western Australia.

但有些，包括這一點，在西澳大利亞登陸。

No one was hurt, luckily, but what laws dealt with this?

幸運的是，沒有人受傷，但有什麼法律來處理這個問題？

Has the law changed since then?

從那時起，法律是否有所改變？

The law regarding damages from...

法律關於來自......的損害的規定。

from space to Earth is contained in the liability convention.

從空間到地球的責任公約中包含了這一點。

And that convention – that was a treaty that came into force in 1972

而該公約--那是一個在1972年生效的條約

and that is still the same today.

而這一點在今天仍然是一樣的。

It... it relates to...

它...它與...有關。

it deals with space objects hitting the Earth

它涉及到空間物體撞擊地球的問題

and it deals with space objects hitting each other up in space.

它涉及到空間物體在太空中相互撞擊的問題。

But there's a different type of liability

但有一種不同類型的責任

that applies in space to one that applies on Earth.

在太空中適用的，與在地球上適用的一樣。

A law called the Liability Convention of 1972

一項名為《1972年責任公約》的法律

still deals with space objects hitting the Earth,

仍然是處理空間物體撞擊地球的問題。

so the law hasn't changed since Skylab crashed.

是以，自Skylab墜毀以來，法律並沒有改變。

So, if something hit my house, what could I do?

那麼，如果有東西砸到我的房子，我能做什麼呢？

The law does permit you to sue what's known as the launching state,

法律確實允許你起訴所謂的發射國。

who is responsible for that piece of space junk

誰對那塊太空垃圾負責？

that crashed into a house or landed on your property,

撞上房子或落在你的財產上。

if... if you incur damage.

如果......如果你招致損害。

If you have damage as a result – that's....

如果你是以而有損傷--那就是....

that's physical injury or damage to property –

這是人身傷害或財產損失------。

then you have a right to claim compensation for that damage.

那麼你就有權利要求賠償該損失。

And you can do it in one of two ways:

你可以用兩種方式之一來做。

you can have your country, your state,

你可以擁有你的國家，你的州。

make a claim against that other state who was responsible for that damage;

向對該損害負責的其他國家提出索賠。

or you can go to that state's own courts

或者你可以到該州自己的法院去。

and you can make a claim yourself.

並且你可以自己提出索賠。

But you cannot do both at the same time.

但你不能同時做這兩件事。

If your house gets hit by something from space,

如果你的房子被來自太空的東西擊中。

you can claim damages in one of two ways:

你可以通過以下兩種方式之一要求賠償。

either through your own government or via the other country's courts.

通過你自己的政府或通過其他國家的法院。

So, what about protecting the environment

那麼，保護環境呢？

from crashes and accidents?

撞車和事故的影響？

Many states require you to get a licence,

許多州要求你獲得許可證。

to provide them with an environmental protection plan.

為他們提供一個環境保護計劃。

They need to see what you're going to do,

他們需要看到你要做什麼。

with respect to protecting the environment,

在保護環境方面。

before they issue you with a licence.

在他們向你頒發許可證之前。

So, in that regard states

是以，在這方面，各州

and their domestic national concerns

和他們國內的國家關切

are ahead of the game, regarding international law,

在國際法方面，我們已經走在了前面。

which doesn't impose those same requirements.

這並沒有提出這些相同的要求。

Yet, because of that though, I think it's only a matter of time

然而，正因為如此，我認為這只是一個時間問題。

before these environmental controls that are imposed nationally

在這些在全國範圍內實施的環境控制之前

will find international expression

將找到國際表達方式

and be part of international law.

併成為國際法的一部分。

Some countries require that you have a licence to launch a spacecraft.

一些國家要求你有發射航天器的許可證。

To get this, you need an environmental protection plan,

為了得到這一點，你需要一個環境保護計劃。

but there isn't an international law about this yet.

但目前還沒有這方面的國際法。

The law tries to keep our satellites and spacecraft safe from junk,

該法律試圖使我們的衛星和航天器不受垃圾的影響。

and tries to protect us, here on Earth.

並試圖保護我們，在地球上。

But it's clear there's still work to be done for lawyers!

但很明顯，律師仍有工作要做!