ISPL Director participates in Space Debris Congress

Thursday, November 10th, 2011

Professor Mosteshar is currently examining some legal issues concerning Active Debris Removal (ADR), also referred to as space debris remediation.  He presented a paper on the subject at the International Interdisciplinary Congress on Space Debris Remediation on 11 November 2011.

The Congress was held at McGill Institute of Air and Space Law in Montreal on 11 and 12 November 2011, and examined various technical concepts and means, legal and economic aspects, operational and organizational requirements for space debris remediation and on-orbit servicing of satellites with the objective of putting forward specific and viable policy and regulatory steps (mechanisms) that may be considered by States and other stakeholders in order to minimize risks posed by space debris.

For more information about the Congress, download: 3rd-Space-Debris-Congress-Program

or visit the IASL site: http://www.mcgill.ca/iasl.

ISPL Faculty discuss space debris and insurance risk

Monday, November 7th, 2011

Space Debris was the focus of an article by Owen Bowcott, the Guardian’s legal affairs correspondent on 28 October 2011.  Owen attended the ISPL Practitioner and Industry Seminar on Policy and Regulatory Risk, the last of the Series on Risks Associated with Space Activity, held on 27 October 2011 in London.

After the event, he spoke to Neil Stevens, a deputy space underwriter at the Atrium Space Insurance Consortium and member of the ISPL Faculty.  They discussed insurance issues arising in relation to space debris, and the concerns of those insuring space ventures.

He also spoke to Sa’id Mosteshar, the ISPL Director, about potential costs associated with increasing risk of satellite collision with debris.  Physical risks such as debris were not the focus of the seminar, but were very topical, following the crash of a NASA satellite into the Pacific Ocean, and a German satellite into the Bay of Bengal.

The Guardian article: Space debris collisions a growing risk, experts warn

For more about the Seminar, see our news item “Policy & Regulatory Risk Seminar 27 October 2011”.

Institute Director to join Legal & Regulatory Committee of IAASS

Friday, November 4th, 2011

ISPL’s Director, Professor Sa’id Mosteshar, has been invited to join the Legal and Regulatory Committee of the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety. In accepting, he said, ” I am honoured to join distinguished colleagues in the work of the Committee, which is critical to future use of outer space and its preservation as a resource for all.”

The International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety, established 16 April 2004 in the Netherlands, is a non-profit organisation dedicated to furthering international cooperation and scientific advancement in the field of space systems safety. The goals of the IAASS include advancing the science and application of Space Safety, improving the communication, dissemination of knowledge and cooperation between interested groups and individuals in this field and related fields, and improving understanding and awareness of the Space Safety discipline.  In addition, it aims to promote and improve the development of Space Safety professionals and standards and to advocate the establishment of safety laws, rules, and regulatory bodies at national and international levels for the civil use of space.

More information about the IAASS can be found at http://www.iaass.org.

Professor Mosteshar is currently examining some legal issues concerning Active Debris Removal (ADR), also referred to as space debris remediation.  He will be presenting a paper on the subject at the International Interdisciplinary Congress on Space Debris Remediation on November 11.

The Congress will be held at McGill Institute of Air and Space Law in Montreal on 11 and 12 November 2011, and will examine various technical concepts and means, legal and economic aspects, operational and organizational requirements for space debris remediation and on-orbit servicing of satellites with the objective of putting forward specific and viable policy and regulatory steps (mechanisms) that may be considered by States and other stakeholders in order to minimize risks posed by space debris.

For more information about the Congress, download: 3rd-Space-Debris-Congress-Program

or visit the IASL site: http://www.mcgill.ca/iasl.