How High the Sky?

How High the Sky? The Definition and Delimitation of Outer Space and Territorial Airspace in International Law is the most recent and the most comprehensive treatise on the question of the international legal definition and delimitation of outer space, one which has been debated for more than six decades without arriving at a consensus and the conclusion of binding agreement in international law. The author considers not only the history of this long legal controversy, including the many approaches and legal theories, but he also explores the implications of atmospheric and space physics, aeronautics, and astrodynamics, as well as air and space flight data. The appendices of this published work contain tables of flight data which are evidence of state practice, and therefore customary international law; however, one body of evidence, the record of flights of reentering space vehicles over foreign territory at altitiudes below 110 kilometers (indeed, as low as 25 kilometers!), which has serious implications with regard to the altitude to which national sovereignty should reach. Two of these appendices contain nearly 170 color figures, a body of evidence far too large and too costly to include in the printed version of the work. Accordingly, the figures for these appendices, which are referenced extensively in Chapter 18, are furnished online.

Appendix 4: Space Vehicle Reentry Altitude and Range Profiles

Figure A4.1: Blunt Body Orbital Reentry Profiles
Figure A4.2: Apollo 4 Reentry Profile
Figure A4.3: Apollo 8 and Apollo 15 Reentry Profiles
Figure A4.4: Apollo 11 Reentry Profile
Figure A4.5: Lifting Bodies and Winged Reentry Profiles
Figure A4.6: Chang’e 5 Lunar Sample Return Skip-Lob Reentry Profile
Figure A4.7: Orion Mars Return Skip-Lob Reentry Profiles

Appendix 5 Supplement: Space Vehicle Ground Tracks

Figure A5.1: Discoverer 2 Ground Track, 26 April 1959
Figure A5.2: Korabl’ Sputnik 4 Ground Track, 9 March 1961
Figure A5.3: Korabl’ Sputnik 5 Ground Track, 25 March 1961
Figure A5.4: Vostok 1 Ground Track, 12 April 1961
Figure A5.5: Vostok 2 Ground Track, 7 August 1961
Figure A5.6: Mercury Atlas 6 Reentry Ground Track, 20 February 1962
Figure A5.7: Vostok 3 and Vostok 4 Ground Tracks, 15 August 1962
Figure A5.8: Vostok 5 Ground Track, 19 June 1963
Figure A5.9: Vostok 6 Ground Track, 19 June 1963
Figure A5.10: Kosmos 47 Ground Track, 7 October 1964
Figure A5.11: Voskhod 1 Ground Track, 13 October 1964
Figure A5.12: Voskhod 2 Ground Track, 19 March 1965
Figure A5.13: Gemini 3 Reentry Ground Track, 23 March 1965
Figure A5.14: Gemini 6A Reentry Ground Track, 16 December 1965
Figure A5.15: Gemini 7 Reentry Ground Track, 18 December 1965
Figure A5.16: Kosmos 110 Reentry Ground Track, 16 March 1966
Figure A5.17: Gemini 8 Reentry Ground Track, 18 March 1966
Figure A5.18: Gemini 9A Reentry Ground Track, 6 June 1966
Figure A5.19: Gemini 10 Reentry Ground Track, 21 July 1966
Figure A5.20: Gemini 11 Reentry Ground Track, 16 December 1966
Figure A5.21: Soyuz 1 Reentry Ground Track, 24 April 1967
Figure A5.22: Zond 5 Reentry Ground Track, 21 September 1968
Figure A5.23: Soyuz 3 Reentry Ground Track, 30 October 1968
Figure A5.24: Soyuz 4 Reentry Ground Track, 17 January 1969
Figure A5.25: Soyuz 5 Reentry Ground Track, 18 January 1969
Figure A5.26: Apollo 10 Reentry Ground Track, 26 May 1969
Figure A5.27: Apollo 11 Reentry Ground Track, 24 July 1969
Figure A5.28: Soyuz 6 Reentry Ground Track, 16 October 1969
Figure A5.29: Apollo 12 Reentry Ground Track, 24 November 1969
Figure A5.30: Soyuz 9 Reentry Ground Track, 19 June 1970
Figure A5.31: Zond 8 Reentry Ground Track, 27 October 1970
Figure A5.32: Soyuz 11 Reentry Ground Track, 30 June 1971
Figure A5.33: Apollo 17 Reentry Ground Track, 19 December 1972
Figure A5.34: Kosmos 605/Bion 1 Reentry Ground Track, 22 November 1973
Figure A5.35: Soyuz 14 Reentry Ground Track, 19 July 1974
Figure A5.36: Soyuz 15 Reentry Ground Track, 28 August 1974
Figure A5.37: Soyuz 16 Reentry Ground Track, 8 December1974
Figure A5.38: Soyuz 17 Reentry Ground Track, 10 February 1975
Figure A5.39: Soyuz 19 Reentry Ground Track, 24 July 1975
Figure A5.40: Soyuz 18 Reentry Ground Track, 26 July 1975
Figure A5.41: Fanhui Shi Weixing 0-2 Reentry Ground Track, 29 November 1975
Figure A5.42: Kosmos 782/Bion 3 Reentry Ground Track, 15 December 1975
Figure A5.43: Soyuz 21 Reentry Ground Track, 24 August 1976
Figure A5.44: Soyuz 22 Reentry Ground Track, 23 September 1976
Figure A5.45: Soyuz 23 Reentry Ground Track, 16 October 1976
Figure A5.46: Fanhui Shi Weixing 0-3 Reentry Ground Track, 10 December 1976
Figure A5.47: Kosmos 881 and Kosmos 882 Reentry Ground Track, 15 December 1976
Figure A5.48: Kosmos 936/Bion 4 Reentry Ground Track, 22 August 1977
Figure A5.49: Soyuz 26 Reentry Ground Track, 16 January 1978
Figure A5.50: Soyuz 29 Reentry Ground Track, 3 September 1978
Figure A5.51: Soyuz 31 Reentry Ground Track, 2 November 1978
Figure A5.52: Soyuz 33 Reentry Ground Track, 12 April 1979
Figure A5.53: Kosmos 1100 and Kosmos 1101 Reentry Ground Tracks, 23 May 1979
Figure A5.54: Kosmos 1129/Bion 5 Reentry Ground Track, 14 October 1979
Figure A5.55: Soyuz T-3 Reentry Ground Track, 10 December 1980
Figure A5.56: STS-3 Reentry Ground Track, 30 March 1982
Figure A5.57: Kosmos 1374 Reentry Ground Track, 4 June 1982
Figure A5.58: Soyuz T-5 Reentry Ground Track, 27 August 1982
Figure A5.59: Kosmos 1453 Reentry Ground Track, 19 September 1983
Figure A5.60: STS-9 Reentry Ground Track, 8 December 1983
Figure A5.61: Kosmos 1514/Bion 6 Reentry Ground Track, 19 December 1983
Figure A5.62: Kosmos 1517 Reentry Ground Track, 27 December 1983
Figure A5.63: STS-41G Reentry Ground Track, 13 October 1984
Figure A5.64: Soyuz T-13 Reentry Ground Track, 26 September 1985
Figure A5.65: Buran Reentry Ground Track, 15 November 1988
Figure A5.66: STS-36 Reentry Ground Track, 4 March 1990
Figure A5.67: Soyuz TM-10 Reentry Ground Track, 10 December 1990
Figure A5.68: STS-39 Reentry Ground Track, 6 May 1991
Figure A5.69: Soyuz TM-11- Reentry Ground Track, 26 May 1991
Figure A5.70: STS-45 Reentry Ground Track, 24 March 1992
Figure A5.71: Soyuz TM-14 Reentry Ground Track, 10 August 1992
Figure A5.72: Fanhui Shi Weixing 2-1 Reentry Ground Track, 25 August 1992
Figure A5.73: Kosmos 2229/Bion 10 Reentry Ground Track, 10 January 1993
Figure A5.74: STS-56 Reentry Ground Track, 8 April 1993
Figure A5.75: Soyuz TM-17 Reentry Ground Track, 14 January 1994
Figure A5.76: STS-60 Reentry Ground Track, 3 February 1994
Figure A5.77: Soyuz TM-19 Reentry Ground Track, 4 November 1994
Figure A5.78: Foton 10 Reentry Ground Track, 3 March 1995
Figure A5.79: Resurs F2-10 Reentry Ground Track, 26 October 1995
Figure A5.80: Soyuz TM-23 Reentry Ground Track, 2 September 1996
Figure A5.81: STS-79 Reentry Ground Track, 26 September 1996
Figure A5.82: STS-80 Reentry Ground Track, 7 December 1996
Figure A5.83: Bion 11 Reentry Ground Track, 7 January 1997
Figure A5.84: STS-81 Reentry Ground Track, 22 January 1997
Figure A5.85: STS-82 Reentry Ground Track, 21 February 1997
Figure A5.86: Soyuz TM-24- Reentry Ground Track, 2 March 1997
Figure A5.87: STS-84 Reentry Ground Track, 24 May 1997
Figure A5.88: STS-85 Reentry Ground Track, 7 August 1997
Figure A5.89: Soyuz TM-25 Reentry Ground Track, 14 August 1997
Figure A5.90: Soyuz TM-26 Reentry Ground Track, 19 February 1998
Figure A5.91: STS-93 Reentry Ground Track, 28 July 1999
Figure A5.92: Foton 12 Reentry Ground Track, 24 September 1999
Figure A5.93: Shenzhou 1 Reentry Ground Track, 20 November 1999
Figure A5.94: STS-103 Reentry Ground Track, 28 December 1999
Figure A5.95: STS-99 Reentry Ground Track, 11 February 2000
Figure A5.96: STS-101 Reentry Ground Track, 29 May 2000
Figure A5.97: STS-97 Reentry Ground Track, 1 December 2000
Figure A5.98: Shenzhou 2 Reentry Ground Track, 16 January 2001
Figure A5.99: STS-105 Reentry Ground Track, 22 August 2001
Figure A5.100: STS-109 Reentry Ground Track, 12 March 2002
Figure A5.101: Shenzhou 3 Reentry Ground Track, 1 April 2002
Figure A5.102: STS-113 Reentry Ground Track, 2 December 2002
Figure A5.103: Shenzhou 4 Reentry Ground Track, 5 January 2003
Figure A5.104: Soyuz TMA-1 Reentry Ground Track, 4 May 2003
Figure A5.105: Shenzhou 5 Reentry Ground Track, 15 October 2003
Figure A5.106: STS-121 Reentry Ground Track, 17 July 2006
Figure A5.107: STS-115 Reentry Ground Track, 21 September 2006
Figure A5.108: STS-116 Reentry Ground Track, 22 December 2006
Figure A5.109: SRE-1 Reentry Ground Track, 22 January 2007
Figure A5.110: STS-117 Reentry Ground Track, 22 June 2007
Figure A5.111: STS-118 Reentry Ground Track, 21 August 2007
Figure A5.112: Foton M-3 Reentry Ground Track, 26 September 2007
Figure A5.113: Soyuz TMA-10 Reentry Ground Track, 21 October 2007
Figure A5.114: STS-120 Reentry Ground Track, 7 November 2007
Figure A5.115: STS-122 Reentry Ground Track, 20 February 2008
Figure A5.116: STS-123 Reentry Ground Track, 27 March 2008
Figure A5.117: Soyuz TMA-11 Reentry Ground Track, 19 April 2008
Figure A5.118: STS-124 Reentry Ground Track, 14 June 2008
Figure A5.119: STS-119 Reentry Ground Track, 28 March 2009
Figure A5.120: Soyuz TMA-13 Reentry Ground Track, 26 April 2009
Figure A5.121: STS-127 Reentry Ground Track, 28 July 2009
Figure A5.122: STS-129 Reentry Ground Track, 27 November 2009
Figure A5.123: Soyuz TMA-15 Reentry Ground Track, 1 December 2009
Figure A5.124: STS-130 Reentry Ground Track, 21 February 2010
Figure A5.125: Soyuz TMA-16 Reentry Ground Track, 18 March 2010
Figure A5.126: STS-131 Reentry Ground Track, 20 April 2010
Figure A5.127: STS-132 Reentry Ground Track, 26 May 2010
Figure A5.128: Soyuz TMA-19 Reentry Ground Track, 26 November 2010
Figure A5.129: STS-133 Reentry Ground Track, 7 March 2011
Figure A5.130: Soyuz TMA-20 Reentry Ground Track, 24 May 2011
Figure A5.131: STS-134 Reentry Ground Track, 1 June 2011
Figure A5.132: STS-135 Reentry Ground Track, 21 July 2011
Figure A5.133: Soyuz TMA-21 Reentry Ground Track, 16 September 2011
Figure A5.134: Soyuz TMA-03M Reentry Ground Track, 1 July 2012
Figure A5.135: Soyuz TMA-05M Reentry Ground Track, 19 November 2012
Figure A5.136: Soyuz TMA-06M Reentry Ground Track, 16 March 2013
Figure A5.137: Bion M1-1 Reentry Ground Track, 19 April 2013
Figure A5.138: Soyuz TMA-07M Reentry Ground Track, 14 May 2013
Figure A5.139: Soyuz TMA-09M Reentry Ground Track, 11 November 2013
Figure A5.140: Soyuz TMA-10M Reentry Ground Track, 11 March 2014
Figure A5.141: Chang’e 5-T1 Reentry Ground Track, 31 October 2014
Figure A5.142: Soyuz TMA-15M Reentry Ground Track, 11 June 2015
Figure A5.143: Soyuz TMA-16M Reentry Ground Track, 12 September 2015
Figure A5.144: Soyuz TMA-17M Reentry Ground Track, 11 December 2015
Figure A5.145: Soyuz TMA-18M Reentry Ground Track, 2 March 2016
Figure A5.146: Soyuz TMA-19M Reentry Ground Track, 18 June 2016
Figure A5.147: Soyuz TMA-20M Reentry Ground Track, 7 September 2016
Figure A5.148: Soyuz MS-01 Reentry Ground Track, 30 October 2016
Figure A5.149: Soyuz MS-02 Reentry Ground Track, 10 April 2017
Figure A5.150: USA 261 Reentry Ground Track, 7 May 2017
Figure A5.151: Soyuz MS-03 Reentry Ground Track, 2 June 2017
Figure A5.152: Soyuz MS-04 Reentry Ground Track, 3 September 2017
Figure A5.153: Soyuz MS-05 Reentry Ground Track, 14 December 2017
Figure A5.154: Soyuz MS-06 Reentry Ground Track, 28 February 2018
Figure A5.155: Zenit Reentry Ground Tracks, 50.4°-52.0° Inclination
Figure A5.156: Zenit Reentry Ground Tracks, 62.8°-63.0° Inclination
Figure A5.157: Zenit Reentry Ground Tracks, 64.0°-65.7° Inclination
Figure A5.158: Zenit Reentry Ground Tracks, 67.0°-68.1° Inclination
Figure A5.159: Zenit Reentry Ground Tracks, 69.9°-72.9° Inclination
Figure A5.160: Zenit Reentry Ground Tracks, 81.0°-82.6° Inclination
Figure A5.161: Typical Corona and Argon Reentry Ground Track, 78.9°-83.9° Inclination
Figure A5.162: Typical Corona, Gambit, and Hexagon Reentry Ground Tracks, 92.9°-97.9° Inclination