QUESTION 17
GS3
12.5 marks
International civil aviation laws provide all countries complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above their territory. What do you understand by ‘airspace’? What are the implications of these laws on the space above this airspace? Discuss challenges this poses and suggest ways to contain the threat.
WRITE IN
9 min
200 words
What the examiner wants
Define airspace, explain the legal status of space above it, and discuss the security challenges and remedies.
DiscussExplain the different sides of the issue, use evidence, and finish with a balanced view.
Demand-wise check
- 1Airspace: space above land and territorial waters (12 nm) where the state has complete sovereignty; no agreed upper limit (Karman line about 100 km used)≈35 words
- 2Above airspace: outer space is free for all and cannot be claimed; satellites can overfly any country≈35 words
- 3Challenges: spy satellites, ASAT weapons, space debris, hypersonic and ballistic missiles, high-altitude balloons, drones at lower levels≈35 words
- 4Remedies: space situational awareness, Defence Space Agency, ASAT capability, norms at UN, counter-drone systems, international law on delimitation≈35 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
Airspace definedLegal void aboveThreatsIndia's capabilityInternational normsConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Not answering the 'space above airspace' part
- Missing the lack of an agreed boundary
Draw this
- Vertical diagram: territorial airspace → near space (balloons) → Karman line → outer space (satellites)
Value addition
- LawChicago Convention (1944) Art 1 recognises complete and exclusive sovereignty over national airspace; Outer Space Treaty (1967) bars national appropriation of space.ICAO; UN
- ExampleIndia's Mission Shakti ASAT test (March 2019) destroyed a satellite in low earth orbit.DRDO, 2019
- ExampleA Chinese high-altitude balloon was shot down over the US in February 2023, showing the near-space grey zone.US Department of Defense, 2023
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 9 minutes, then get it checked.