These initial deliberations resulted in the formation of the backbone of space law, the Outer Space Treaty (OST), which entered into force in 1967; to date counting 110 states legally bound to its protocols, including the USA, Russia, China, India and majority of NATO States.

The UN GA also issues resolutions (formal expressions of opinion), which, unlike treaties, are never legally binding, and regarding outer space, they offer guidance to States on the proper conduct of activities in space. Signing or voting in favour of any UN document indicates state support for its principles, and demonstrates willingness towards establishing multilateral cooperation on the issue in question. The UN GA meets every year in order to deliberate on further resolutions and treaties which, amongst others, pertain to outer space.

The OST forbids the deployment of weapons of mass destruction in outer space, prohibits military activities on celestial bodies, and lays out legally binding rules which govern the peaceful exploration and use of space, i.e. these activities have to be carried out in accordance with international law.

However, it does NOT prevent any state from conducting Earth-to-space warfare, forming military space forces, or placing other types of weapons in space.

Historically the idea of the PAROS treaty has been notably opposed by the USA. Both the USA and Israel voted against the PAROS resolution* in 2019, while ALL other nations voted in its favour. The PPWT treaty, on the other hand, has not gained much traction since its proposal in 2008.

Another key resolution considered by the UN GA is the “Transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space activities”. Compliance with it would help to prevent military confrontation by fostering intergovernmental trust. More importantly, accepting this resolution could eventually lead to an implementation of legally binding arms control measures. In 2019 the USA and Israel voted against it, while Australia, Georgia, Palau, Ukraine and the United Kingdom abstained.

It has long been recognised that the times have changed drastically, and the OST does not adequately address modern day issues. In 2013 the UN Group of Governmental Experts declared that “it is critically important for all nations to work collectively to keep [space] free from destabilizing conflict”, and while the majority of UN member states are committed to pursuing a space weapons ban through the Conference on Disarmament, for decades essentially no progress has been made on this front.

There are two more points worth keeping in mind. Even though the international law does prohibit the threat or use of force in outer space, there are no legal definitions to clarify what constitutes a 'threat' or 'use' of force, an ambiguity with high potential for misinterpretations. Likewise, to date very little effort has been put into defining a 'space weapon' in the legal regime. Both of these issues pose a fundamental hurdle in controlling the arms race in space and the development of legally binding measures addressing counterspace technology.