United State Code question

[Praxis]

I have recently been reading the U.S.C to learn more about law and I was wondering if someone here can save me some work.

Title 1 deals with certain definitions.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/1/chapter-1

Specifically

The word “vessel” includes every description of watercraft or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on water.
(July 30, 1947, ch. 388, 61 Stat. 633.)

and

The word “vehicle” includes every description of carriage or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on land.
(July 30, 1947, ch. 388, 61 Stat. 633.)


So I have a couple questions. The first and more mundane, where are the vessel that travel UNDER water defined or does vessel cover that too?

The more exotic question; Where are crafts that travel in the air and or space defined.

I looked in Title 10 which deals with military but could not find it where I assumed it would be, Air Force Definitions
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/subtitle-D/part-I/chapter-801

But as you can see, it is empty. So I thought it would be defined in the army section as the Air force is actually a relatively new branch.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/3001

Again as you can see, it is not there.

I have a concordancer but unfortunately the U.S.C. is so large it crashes the program when I try to use it so I have to go title by title, and sometimes smaller chunks than that. SO I was wondering if anybody already knows the answer to this.

The reason I want to know this is is, if there is no definition for space craft in the legal framework, the Secret Space Program would be a in a legal grey area which may be part of how they hide it.

I am a complete newb when it comes to Law so forgive my ignorance.

[Satori]

I have recently been reading the U.S.C to learn more about law and I was wondering if someone here can save me some work.

Title 1 deals with certain definitions.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/1/chapter-1

Specifically

The word “vessel” includes every description of watercraft or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on water.
(July 30, 1947, ch. 388, 61 Stat. 633.)

and

The word “vehicle” includes every description of carriage or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on land.
(July 30, 1947, ch. 388, 61 Stat. 633.)


So I have a couple questions. The first and more mundane, where are the vessel that travel UNDER water defined or does vessel cover that too?

The more exotic question; Where are crafts that travel in the air and or space defined.

I looked in Title 10 which deals with military but could not find it where I assumed it would be, Air Force Definitions
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/subtitle-D/part-I/chapter-801

But as you can see, it is empty. So I thought it would be defined in the army section as the Air force is actually a relatively new branch.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/3001

Again as you can see, it is not there.

I have a concordancer but unfortunately the U.S.C. is so large it crashes the program when I try to use it so I have to go title by title, and sometimes smaller chunks than that. SO I was wondering if anybody already knows the answer to this.

The reason I want to know this is is, if there is no definition for space craft in the legal framework, the Secret Space Program would be a in a legal grey area which may be part of how they hide it.

I am a complete newb when it comes to Law so forgive my ignorance.

The place to look for that level of detail is the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Congress enacts legislation and it provides some definitions and such, but basically statutes set policy and general parameters. Congress acts through departments and agencies, it never carries out the work required by its laws itself. So, Congress empowers the departments and agencies to pass regulations and rules to carry out Congressional intent as expressed through the laws/statutes. These rules and regulations are found in the CFRs for the most part. The CFRs are also interpreted by administrative judges and the courts. So case law us also out there.

In short check the CFRs. They will provide more detail and be more encompassing as to details, because the agencies live and breath the day-to-day enforcement.

The CFRs regulation citations are similar to the USC citations but they are not identical. Try putting "CFR" into the search engine along with the statute you are interested in.

[Praxis]

Thanks Satori,

I didnt start there because the U.S.C handles the military directly and I didnt think they would put it in the CFR. But upon looking into they seem to bother handle the military equally. Probably on purpose to spread the information in many different places to be as obtuse as possible.

I will look into it and see if it is there. I was just hoping that I was asking an obvious, to a lawyer or lawyer type, question and they could point me at it directly.

I appreciate the response

[Praxis]

So I took Satoris advice and starting looking in the CFR.

Under title 14 which deals with Aeronautics and Space.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/1.1

"Aircraft means a device that is used or intended to be used for flight in the air. " This seems to be what we would need to formally ask about. However, it seems there is wiggle room as lets say the TR3B is intended to be used in space even though it is used for flight in the air they could make get around that way?

"Airplane means an engine-driven fixed-wing aircraft heavier than air, that is supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against its wings. "

"Airship means an engine-driven lighter-than-air aircraft that can be steered. "

"Unmanned aircraft means an aircraft operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft. "

However, I dont think that any of these definitions would cover rockets so there is more to find. It is interesting that in Title 14 here, I did not find any space definitions

Some definitions point Title 49 in USC.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/40102#a
(6) “aircraft” means any contrivance invented, used, or designed to navigate, or fly in, the air.


Will keep looking for Space related things and update if I find anything

[Satori]

So I took Satoris advice and starting looking in the CFR.

Under title 14 which deals with Aeronautics and Space.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/1.1

"Aircraft means a device that is used or intended to be used for flight in the air. " This seems to be what we would need to formally ask about. However, it seems there is wiggle room as lets say the TR3B is intended to be used in space even though it is used for flight in the air they could make get around that way?

"Airplane means an engine-driven fixed-wing aircraft heavier than air, that is supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against its wings. "

"Airship means an engine-driven lighter-than-air aircraft that can be steered. "

"Unmanned aircraft means an aircraft operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft. "

However, I dont think that any of these definitions would cover rockets so there is more to find. It is interesting that in Title 14 here, I did not find any space definitions

Some definitions point Title 49 in USC.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/40102#a
(6) “aircraft” means any contrivance invented, used, or designed to navigate, or fly in, the air.


Will keep looking for Space related things and update if I find anything

I believe "airship" and "unmanned aircraft" would include rockets within their definitions. But I do agree further digging is required and that some information and perhaps definitions, capabilities and nomenclature of some of this technology will not be readily available.