The outer space treaty of 1967 says that the country that authorized the launch (known as the "launching state") is responsible for damage caused to people or things on Earth. This is because article 6 of the outer space treaty makes nations responsible for the activities of their citizens in outer space. This remains the most significant test of the space treaties and shows the limitations on the protections provided by international law because the compensation was a fraction of the clean-up cost. However, it is illustrative of the legal hazards of the proliferation of space objects without adequate end of life The more objects launched into outer space, the more of them will return to Earth. However, planning for the end of a space object's life will also reduce the risk of an impact on the ground.
