orbital slots available at geostationary level is a statement of the head of the Outer Space Division of the United Nations in October 1978. He indicated that despite a careful review of all present factual information that it was wholly impossible to place a number on the useful geostationary orbital positions. 3.3 The Application of International Space Law to Orbital Use From the political-legal point of view some States have taken the position that the mere use of an orbital slot by a space object may constitute an appropriation of this portion of the space environment in violation of Article 2 of the Principles Treaty. To this concern that nation-states would preempt a common world resource some of the non-space resource States have advanced the view that the ITU should have the authority to register allocations of orbital slots. This last position seeks to link the powers of the ITU in the area of allocating and registering radio frequencies with the associated subject of orbital slots. To complicate matters on December 3, 1976, eight equatorial States put forward their views relating to special national rights at geostationary levels. All of these three situations, namely, national claims relating to the use of the radio spectrum, to the use of orbital slots, and to special rights at geostationary levels, have enlarged the role of law and politics relating to the spectrum/orbit resource. The 1967 Principles Treaty was designed to facilitate the exploration and use of the space environment "on a basis of equality and in accordance with international law." In encouraging States to engage Article 1, paragraph 2. See also Article 3.
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