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While discussions about extraterrestrial life are often dismissed as the musings of the irrational, some organizations, including the United Nations and the United States Congress, have recognized the need for formal regulations in case alien life is discovered. Whether extraterrestrials initiate contact with Earth or human explorers encounter alien civilizations, these ten essential guidelines must be considered to prevent penalties, incarceration, or other severe consequences.
10. Astronauts Must Be Isolated in Case of Alien Contaminants
In 1969, the United States Congress enacted the Extra-terrestrial Exposure Law. This legislation requires astronauts returning from space missions to be quarantined for a specific period to ensure they do not inadvertently (or intentionally) bring back alien organisms. The law was put in place just prior to the Apollo 11 mission. NASA's primary concern was not little green men, but rather the potential for germs never before seen on Earth that could trigger an epidemic.
Interestingly, some people misunderstood this law, thinking it made it illegal for Americans to make contact with extraterrestrials. The law was repealed in 1977 after several successful space missions demonstrated that astronauts were not bringing back harmful contaminants. However, there are still individuals online who angrily complain about the alleged restriction on communicating with aliens, demanding its repeal. They may not know, but the law has been gone for decades.
9. Any Discovery of Alien Life Must Be Immediately Reported to the United Nations
In 1967, the United Nations established the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies. Commonly known as the “Outer Space Treaty” for convenience, this agreement was initially signed by Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and has since been ratified by more than 125 countries.
Article V of the Outer Space Treaty states, “States Parties to the Treaty shall immediately inform the other States Parties to the Treaty or the Secretary-General of the United Nations of any phenomena they discover in outer space [ . . ] which could pose a threat to the life or health of astronauts.” Naturally, this would apply to the discovery of extraterrestrial life.
In 2011, Mazlan Othman, the director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, allegedly suggested in a speech that Earth should have systems prepared before any interaction with extraterrestrials. This sparked rumors that she had been appointed as the UN’s “alien ambassador.” Othman later denied these claims.
Regardless, due to the Outer Space Treaty, the United Nations would be among the first to be informed if astronauts were to make contact with alien life.
8. Guidelines for First Contact with Extraterrestrials
The discovery of liquid water on Mars has significantly raised the chances that life could exist there. The Outer Space Treaty prohibits the potential contamination of alien life by human activity or technology. Any location with liquid water is classified as a 'special region,' with strict guidelines for exploration. Other examples of 'special regions' include areas with volcanic activity or caves.
This is why NASA’s rovers have not ventured to capture images of liquid water on Mars, despite the excitement it has generated. The rovers do not meet the required sterilization protocols to be deemed safe for data collection in areas that could harbor potential life forms.
Humans are also not allowed to explore these regions until robotic missions have conducted preliminary investigations. However, with organizations such as NASA, Space-X, and Mars One advancing their plans to send humans to Mars, the question arises: Will humans adhere to the rules and avoid areas that could hold one of the most significant discoveries of our era?
Which brings us to the next law . . .
7. Space Colonization and Maritime Law
Under the UN’s Outer Space Treaty, no individual or nation can claim ownership of any planet, as they are deemed the 'province of all mankind.' As various nations push forward with plans to establish long-term colonies on Mars, the question arises: what laws govern Mars for expats who, in essence, become extraterrestrials?
The UN has addressed this issue. In 1962, the organization adopted the Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, which states that the country launching a spacecraft will maintain jurisdiction over it and its occupants. Similar to how the crew of a ship in international waters must follow the laws of the country under which it’s registered, astronauts on Mars would be required to adhere to the laws of the nation that sent them. For instance, NASA astronauts would still be subject to US law.
6. Extraterrestrials Are People, Too
In 1953, Andrew Haley, a US attorney and former vice president of the International Astronautical Federation, wrote an article where he proposed that aliens should be treated the same way humans would want to be treated, even though they come from other worlds. This concept of extending the Golden Rule to extraterrestrials became known as 'metalaw.'
Metalaw was later expanded by Austrian attorney Ernst Fasan, who added three fundamental principles:
1) Humans should never cause harm to aliens. 2) Aliens and humans should be regarded as equals. 3) Humans must acknowledge the right of aliens to live freely and have safe space to do so.
In simpler terms, don’t follow the Will Smith approach from Independence Day and start punching aliens in the face.
5. Astronauts Represent the Human Race
The UN, in all its regulations concerning space exploration, didn’t forget the saying, 'You never get a second chance to make a first impression.' This is why the Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space designates astronauts as 'envoys of mankind in outer space.'
This raises the question: Does astronaut training include any lessons on proper etiquette for making first contact without embarrassing humanity? According to retired US astronaut Clayton C. Anderson, meeting an alien isn’t part of the current NASA astronaut curriculum.
4. Aliens May Be Subject to Taxes
Handing an alien a copy of the US tax code might just make the best first impression.
According to 35 US Code § 105, anything sold by the United States in outer space is considered as though it was sold within the United States. This means it falls under US tax law. There’s no mention of exceptions for sales to life forms from beyond Earth.
US tax regulations also apply to items exchanged for other items, which could complicate interplanetary technology sharing. However, NASA is tax-exempt, so they can trade freely without concern. Unfortunately for any extraterrestrials, unless they’ve already registered as a nonprofit organization in the US, they might be in for an unpleasant first lesson in what it’s like to be a tax-paying American citizen.
3. Sorry, Aliens, Earth Owns Space
As stated earlier, the UN’s Outer Space Treaty designates space and celestial bodies as 'the province of all mankind.' The UN also holds countries accountable to the global community for any harm they cause to other planets. This could lead to some tricky situations if Earth turns out to be like Christopher Columbus, claiming someone else's home as its own.
This is especially the case if Rand Simberg’s proposed Space Settlement Prize Act becomes law. Simberg advocates for a kind of planetary land rush that could speed up colonization and boost Earth’s economy. While the Outer Space Treaty forbids owning part or all of a planet, it only applies to the countries that have signed it. It wouldn't be hard for a country to withdraw from the treaty and start planting flags wherever it pleases.
The main issue is that other nations may not recognize such ownership. And it’s not just countries—other life-forms might also not acknowledge this claim. It raises an interesting question: What kind of laws could aliens have in store for us?
Feel free to comment below with your ideas on additional laws Earth might need for alien contact or what laws aliens might have for humanity!
2. A Universal ‘Howdy’
The IAA SETI Permanent Committee, part of the International Academy of Astronautics, is exactly what its name implies: a group dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. They focus on detecting alien transmissions by monitoring various types of waves such as radio and microwaves.
Although SETI experiments have sometimes been met with skepticism, the field has gained support from notable figures and organizations. As far back as 1896, Nikola Tesla proposed that radio waves could be used to communicate with extraterrestrials. NASA has had sporadic, government-funded SETI initiatives since the 1960s.
The IAA SETI Permanent Committee also authored the Declaration of Principles Concerning Activities Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence, a document that outlines the procedures to follow if SETI research actually uncovers an alien signal.
If a signal is detected and verified, no immediate response will be made. Instead, the information must be shared globally, and a collective response will be determined. This could lead to significant delays between the detection of alien signals and our response, but let’s hope that extraterrestrials are more patient than we are.
1. Aliens Are Fair Game For Abduction
The first person to gain widespread attention for an alien abduction claim was a Brazilian man named Antonio Vilas Boas. In 1957, the 23-year-old Boas reported that he had been abducted by extraterrestrials.
Seven years before Boas’ claim, the US military had developed a plan for first contact called the 'Seven Steps to Contact,' which included a controversial step: abducting some aliens (if they were technologically inferior) for study. In other words, we might one day be the ‘creepy’ extraterrestrials, snatching beings from their planets and returning them, only for them to recount their traumatic experiences to their disbelieving peers.
Some people speculate that the mention of abductions in the Seven Steps to Contact plan may have inspired some of the modern claims of alien abduction. It’s all about the power of suggestion.
