There is no fixed compensation amount if a satellite falls on your house - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 7, 2022
A post is being shared on social media with a claim that if a satellite falls on a house, the owner of that house will receive a compensation of 74 crore rupees from the country which launched the satellite. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: If a satellite falls on a house, the owner of that house will receive a compensation of 74 crore rupees from the country which launched it.
Fact: While it is true that the State which launched the satellite will have to pay compensation for the damage caused by a fallen satellite, the compensation amount is not pre-determined or fixed. In the ‘Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects’, it can be read that “a claim for compensation for damage shall be presented to a launching State through diplomatic channels”. Also, there are other conditions. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When we searched with the keywords on the internet, we found that there is a convention that deals with such incidents i.e., the ‘Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects’. On looking for the details mentioned in the document related to these incidents, it can be read that – “a launching state shall be absolutely liable to pay compensation for damage caused by its space object on the surface of the earth or to aircraft in flight”. However, the compensation amount is not pre-determined or fixed.
Regarding the compensation amount, the convention says – “the compensation which the launching State shall be liable to pay for damage under this Convention shall be determined in accordance with international law and the principles of justice and equity, in order to provide such reparation in respect of the damage as will restore the person, natural or juridical, State or international organization on whose behalf the claim is presented to the condition which would have existed if the damage had not occurred.”
It is mentioned in the Convention document that “a claim for compensation for damage shall be presented to a launching State through diplomatic channels”. Also, there are other conditions, for example: if a settlement of a claim is not arrived at through diplomatic channels, the parties concerned shall establish a Claims Commission at the request of either party.
Some of the news articles published on the same topic can be read here and here.
To sum it up, there is no fixed compensation amount you get if a satellite falls on your house.