The Outer Space Treaty was largely based on the Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, which had been adopted by the General Assembly in 1963.
The Treaty was opened for signature by the three depository Governments (the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States of America) in January 1967, and it entered into force in October 1967.
The Outer Space Treaty provides the basic framework on international space law, including the following principles:
The exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in ....
