[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 14, Volume 5]
[Revised as of January 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 14CFR1266.102]

[Page 390-392]
 
                     TITLE 14--AERONAUTICS AND SPACE
 
                          SPACE ADMINISTRATION
 
PART 1266_CROSS-WAIVER OF LIABILITY--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1266.102  Cross-waiver of liability for Space Station Freedom activities.

    (a) The objective of this section is to establish a cross-waiver of 
liability (``cross-waiver'') by the Partner States and related entities 
in the interest of encouraging participation in exploration, 
exploitation, and use of outer space through the Space Station. This 
cross-waiver of liability shall be broadly construed to achieve this 
objective.
    (b) For the purposes of this section:
    (1)(i) A Partner State is each contracting Party for which the 
``Agreement among the Government of the United States of America, 
Governments of Member States of the European Space Agency, the 
Government of

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Japan, and the Government of Canada on Cooperation in the Detailed 
Design, Development, Operation, and Utilization of the Permanently 
Manned Civil Space Station'' (the ``Intergovernmental Agreement'') has 
entered into force, in accordance with Article 25 of the 
Intergovernmental Agreement.
    (ii) A Partner State includes its Cooperating Agency. The National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the United States, the 
European Space Agency (ESA) for the European Governments, the Canadian 
Space Agency (CSA) for the Government of Canada, and the Science and 
Technology Agency of Japan (STA) are the Cooperating Agencies 
responsible for implementing Space Station cooperation. A Partner State 
also includes any entity specified in the Memorandum of Understanding 
(MOU) between NASA and the Government of Japan to assist the Government 
of Japan's Cooperating Agency in the implementation of that MOU.
    (2) The term related entity means:
    (i) A contractor or subcontractor of a Partner State at any tier;
    (ii) A user or customer of a Partner State at any tier; or
    (iii) A contractor or subcontractor of a user or customer of a 
Partner State at any tier. ``Contractors'' and ``subcontractors'' 
include suppliers of any kind.
    (3) The term damage means:
    (i) Bodily injury to, or other impairment of health of, or death of, 
any person;
    (ii) Damage to, loss of, or loss of use of any property;
    (iii) Loss of revenue or profits; or
    (iv) Other direct, indirect, or consequential damage.
    (4) The term launch vehicle means an object (or any part thereof) 
intended for launch, launched from Earth, or returning to Earth which 
carries payloads or persons, or both.
    (5) The term payload means all property to be flown or used on or in 
a launch vehicle or the Space Station.
    (6) The term Protected Space Operations means all launch vehicle 
activities, Space Station Freedom activities, and payload activities on 
Earth, in outer space, or in transit between Earth and outer space done 
in implementation of this Agreement, the MOU's, and implementing 
arrangements. It includes, but is not limited to:
    (i) Research, design, development, test, manufacture, assembly, 
integration, operation, or use of launch or transfer vehicles (for 
example, the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle), the Space Station, or a 
payload, as well as related support equipment and facilities and 
services;
    (ii) All activities related to ground support, test, training, 
simulation, or guidance and control equipment, and related facilities or 
services. Protected Space Operations also includes all activities 
related to evolution of the Space Station, as provided for in Article 14 
of the Intergovernmental Agreement. Protected Space Operations excludes 
activities on Earth which are conducted on return from the Space Station 
to develop further a payload's product or process for use other than for 
Space Station-related activities in implementation of this Agreement.
    (c)(1) Each Partner State agrees to a cross-waiver of liability 
pursuant to which each Partner State waives all claims against any of 
the entities or persons listed in paragraphs (c)(1)(i) through 
(c)(1)(iii) of this section based on damage arising out of Protected 
Space Operations. This cross-waiver shall apply only if the person, 
entity, or property causing the damage is involved in Protected Space 
Operations and the person, entity, or property is damaged by virtue of 
its involvement in Protected Space Operations. The cross-waiver shall 
apply to any claims for damage, whatever the legal basis for such 
claims, including but not limited to delict and tort (including 
negligence of every degree and kind) and contract, against:
    (i) Another Partner State;
    (ii) A related entity of another Partner State;
    (iii) The employees of any of the entities identified in paragraphs 
(c)(1)(i) and (c)(1)(ii) of this section.
    (2) In addition, each Partner State shall extend the cross-waiver of 
liability as set forth in paragraph (c)(1) of this section to its own 
related entities by requiring them, by contract or otherwise, to agree 
to waive all claims

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against the entities or persons identified in paragraphs (c)(1)(i) 
through (c)(1)(iii) of this section.
    (3) For avoidance of doubt, this cross-waiver of liability includes 
a cross-waiver of liability arising from the Liability Convention where 
the person, entity, or property causing the damage is involved in 
Protected Space Operations, and the person, entity, or property damaged 
is damaged by virtue of its involvement in Protected Space Operations.
    (4) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, this 
cross-waiver of liability shall not be applicable to:
    (i) Claims between a Partner State and its own related entity or 
between its own related entities;
    (ii) Claims made by a natural person, his/her estate, survivors, or 
subrogees for injury or death of such natural person;
    (iii) Claims for damage caused by willful misconduct;
    (iv) Intellectual property claims.
    (5) Nothing in this section shall be construed to create the basis 
for a claim or suit where none would otherwise exist.