Definition
A 1998 treaty between the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada, and the member states of the European Space Agency that establishes the legal framework for cooperation in the design, development, operation, and use of the International Space Station. It defines each partner's rights and responsibilities, including ownership of modules, allocation of crew time and resources, jurisdiction over personnel, and handling of intellectual property and liability.
Plain English
The international treaty that sets out the rules for how the countries running the International Space Station work together, including who owns what, who is in charge of which part, and how disputes are handled.
Context Anchor
Seen in spaceflight law, international space operations, and discussions of government responsibility for activities connected with the International Space Station.
Derivation
Intergovernmental combines inter, meaning “between,” with governmental, meaning “related to governments.” That helps here because this is not just an agreement between companies or space agencies; it is an agreement between national governments.
Intuition Check
Do not read “agreement” here as a casual understanding or handshake deal. In this term, it means a formal legal agreement between governments.
Example Sentence 1
The International Space Station Intergovernmental Agreement establishes which partner nation has legal jurisdiction over astronauts working in each module.
Example Sentence 2
The regulatory review referenced the International Space Station Intergovernmental Agreement when discussing cross-border ownership of orbital assets.