Seminar Series: Outer Space Serving Humanity

Saturday, November 18th, 2017

This interdisciplinary seminar series will examine the benefits of space systems and services to the world.  They are jointly organised by ISPL and UCL Space Domain, to celebrate 60 Years in Space and 50 Years of Lawful & Peaceful Use.  Topics will include food security, climate change and the environment, and disaster response.

The first seminar begins with the  Outer Space Treaty and the benefits it has brought to humanity.

Seminar I: The Outer Space Treaty & Space as an Asset

Topics include the status of the Treaty and current developments, what the future holds and the preservation of space systems.

Date and time: Wednesday 13 December 2017, 2 – 5 pm

Venue: Charles Clore House, 17 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DR

ISPL Seminars on space policy and law have been popular and informative events, with participation from industry, government, academia and a wide range of others interested in space activity.  This new series of seminars will continue our engagement with UCL Space Domain.  Our mission and that of the UCL Research Domains include bringing together a range of expertise to facilitate international cross-disciplinary research.  We are pleased to jointly present this series over the coming months.

Programme

Undergraduates: There will be some places to observe the seminars. Please contact Events@Space-Institute.org as soon as possible for availability.

For more information or to make a reservation, contact Events@Space-Institute.org

The UK Space Sector and Brexit

Monday, March 27th, 2017

ISPL and UCL held a joint workshop on the impact on the UK space sector of UK withdrawal from the European Union (Brexit). On Thursday 23 March 2017 participants from government, manufacturing, industry, service providers and system operators, legal, market and consulting professionals, government advisers and academics met to discuss many critical issues.

The workshop was informative and challenging to some perceptions about the impact of withdrawal in general, and especially in respect of this tremendously important and specialised sector.

ISPL is most grateful for UCL’s support and partnership for this event. It would not have been possible but for the excellent contributions from the speakers, and the contributions made by everyone present.

A report was prepared by ISPL and Rapporteurs from University College London.

Programme

Space Law and Policy One-day Course for Students

Sunday, April 3rd, 2016

ISPL’s space policy and law one-day course for students will be on Saturday, 30 April 2016 in London. 

Thanks to the generous support of Surrey Satellite Technology Limited, the only charge will be a £10 registration fee.

No previous knowledge of law is required.  Students on the course may be studying law, governance, engineering, space-related medicine, or other subjects. Only full-time university students may attend.

One-day course for students at university level

The course will be taught by ISPL’s Director, Sa’id Mosteshar, and by Neil Stevens, space contracts and insurance specialist and ISPL Faculty Member.

Topics that will be introduced:

Space environment and technology

Space activities such as communication, earth observation and space tourism

Regulation

Commercial activity

International and national law

Policy

Current and future trends

A suggested reading list is available for those wishing to look at the primary treaties and documents of space law or the space environment prior to the course.  Need further information?  Contact events@space-institute.org.

Please note that this one-day course for students does not carry academic credit.  There will be no examination, but there will be ample time for questions, discussion, and a case study.

Registration

Please download and email the required registration information. 

Further information

For students unable to attend ISPL’s course, or anyone interested in an introduction to the topics, two books were recently published. A Space Law Essentials Textbook and Casebook were published by authors at the University of Graz and the European Space Agency.  Further information about the books is here.

ISPL also offers a 3-day course in space policy and law for practitioners, government personnel and other professionals active in the space sector.  The next course will be in October 2016.

For more about our courses and events, or to request a notification email, please contact our Events team: events@space-institute.org.

Professor Bin Cheng Honoured by RAeS

Monday, December 15th, 2014

The Royal Aeronautical Society has been honouring outstanding achievers in the global aerospace industry since 1909, when Wilbur and Orville Wright received the first Gold Medal. Awards have since been given to individuals and teams who have made exceptional contributions to aerospace, for outstanding achievements and contributions, technical innovation, leadership, long and valued service, and for work that advances the field.

It is the most prestigious and long-standing award in global aerospace honouring achievement, innovation and excellence.

This year our Honorary President Professor Bin Cheng received the Honorary Fellowship, which is the highest distinction awarded by the RAeS for outstanding contributions to the aerospace profession.

Everyone at the Institute would like to extend to Professor Bin Cheng their heartiest congratulations on adding this honour to the many well-deserved recognitions of his outstanding contributions to international law.

“Professor Cheng is admitted to Honorary Fellowship in recognition of his impact, world-class leadership and lasting contributions to the development of air law and space law and the inspiration he has provided to others in these sectors of the art and science of aeronautics and astronautics.

He is Emeritus Professor of Air and Space Law at University College London and Honorary President of the London Institute of Space Policy and Law. He is a world authority on international air and space law and played a central role in the adoption of the 1999 Montreal Convention, updating the 1929 Warsaw Convention on International Air Transport.”

He joined Mr Colin Smith of Rolls-Royce and M Jean-Paul Herteman of the Safran Group in being so honoured, at a ceremony on 11 December 2014.

RAeS has a list of previous recipients of awards and honours.

Future Space Lawyers

Thursday, November 27th, 2014

ISPL is adding information to the website on a new page for future space lawyers. The FAQs about the field, how to train and who to talk to, links to other institutions and how to get started in a career in space law and policy will be on the Students page.

Students of law, engineering and science, medicine, environmental fields, and many other disciplines are asking us about how to include space law and space policy in their educational path. Our aim is to help show the way to taking a place in the space sector.

We’ll be adding to the page as new queries come in, so please contact us if you have a specific question or an area of interest.

Student Space Law & Policy Course

Friday, September 12th, 2014

ISPL is pleased to announce its first student space law & policy course for those at university. It will take place in London on Saturday 15 November, 2014.

Our courses and seminars have enjoyed strong interest and enrolment from university students at all levels. In response, we will offer a one-day intensive series of lectures solely for students with an interest in these areas. The course will be held on Saturday to enable students to avoid missing their regular lectures and seminars.

No previous knowledge of space law & policy is required. Students in any discipline are welcome, including law, engineering and technology, government, business and commercial studies. They will receive a solid briefing in the sources of space law, an introduction to aspects of policy, and a wide range of other related material. There is no examination during the course, but there will be ample time for discussion and questions.

ISPL space policy & law courses are normally intended for high-level practitioners and civil servants. This is an excellent opportunity for those just entering their careers to learn about the current law as it applies to the increasing range of activities in space, and about the policies that underlies the legal regime.

Course Information and Enrolment Form

For more information about ISPL’s educational programmes, please see our Programs & Events pages.

Image Credit:

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on Tuesday morning, Sept. 2, 2014. “My favorite views from #space – just past #sunrise over the ocean,” the Expedition 40 astronaut tweeted.

The Expedition 40 crew has been busy aboard the space station, recently performing health checks and humanoid robot upgrades. In the meantime, a trio of orbital residents is packing up gear as they prepare to return home in less than two weeks. Commander Steve Swanson powered down and stowed Robonaut 2 after wrapping up its mobility upgrades this week. He installed new legs on the humanoid robot including external and internal gear as well as cables. This sets the stage for more upgrades in the fall before Robonaut takes its first steps as an assistant crew member. Robonaut was designed to enhance crew productivity and safety while also aiding people on Earth with physical disabilities.

Image Credit: NASA/Reid Wiseman

Space Law and Policy Course (CPD) Completed May 2014

Tuesday, June 24th, 2014

The 2014 Space Law and Policy Course for practitioners, civil servants, academics and space sector professionals took place in London during May 2014.  A wide range of delegates participated in the lectures, discussions and case studies, resulting in a stimulating series of meetings over three days.  Comments following the course uniformly praised the content, presentation and range of material covered.  “Very rewarding and enriching!”  “I was most interested to listen to people around me with extensive expertise as well as the speakers.”  “I very much enjoyed the course and the friendly atmosphere.  Every speaker was helpful and an expert in their domain.”  “The quality of the course and information was outstanding.”

Prospectus

The Course comprised lectures and interactive case studies. Participants had access to the IALS Law Library during the course. Those considering a post-graduate degree at ISPL were able to informally discuss their interest with the Director.

The Course provided an introduction to:

• The space environment and space technology

• Orbits, their characteristics and management, and types of spacecraft

• Spectrum management

• The law governing space activities: principles & sources of space law, including conventions and treaties, national law and policies

• Comparison between space law and other legal regimes: Antarctic, maritime and air law

• Peaceful use of space, military activities & arms control

• Sovereignty

• Property rights

• Risk, liability and insurance

• The law as relates to specific applications: telecommunications and broadcasting, remote sensing, scientific experiment and exploration, manned activities including the International Space Station, unmanned activities

• Space policy and the institutions that implement them

The Course was intended for policy-makers, legal professionals, space sector executives and engineers, officials of government and international bodies, academics and post-graduate degree candidates.

The course was designed to be accessible to those in legal, technical or business training or employment. Previous knowledge of law or policy was not required. It was particularly appropriate for those working in the space sector who wished to increase their knowledge of the current legal and policy framework, in order to take full advantage of the available opportunities and to create new ones.

The Course was intended for a variety of individuals.

• Satellite manufacturing or operation team members seeking an understanding of legal issues relating to design, manufacture or provision of space products and services

• Law, business and technology post-graduate students interested in the field

• Insurers and executives who want the tools to evaluate legal aspects of risk and liability

• Managers and team leaders of space operations who wish to better understand the legal and policy issues they encounter, and to be able to plan more proactively

• IGO and space agency team members concerned with national and international issues arising from activities in space, such as earth observation, and their regulation

• Lawyers and jurists whose practice brings them into contact with space law through legal evidence from satellites, contractual matters or international commerce


Note: Undergraduates will be able to register for our short course in space law later this year.

CPD

The course qualified for 15 hours CPD for Solicitors (SRA) and for Barristers. Other professionals: please contact your respective professional bodies about whether our courses will qualify for CPD.

Space Law and Policy Course (CPD) Open for Enrolment

Tuesday, April 8th, 2014

ISPL is pleased to announce that enrolment is now open for the 2014 Space Law and Policy Course.

Prospectus

The Course will comprise lectures and interactive case studies. Participants will have access to the IALS Law Library during the course. Those considering a post-graduate degree at ISPL will also be able to informally discuss their interest with the Director.

The Course will provide an introduction to:

• The space environment and space technology

• Orbits, their characteristics and management, and types of spacecraft

• Spectrum management

• The law governing space activities: principles & sources of space law, including conventions and treaties, national law and policies

• Comparison between space law and other legal regimes: Antarctic, maritime and air law

• Peaceful use of space, military activities & arms control

• Sovereignty

• Property rights

• Risk, liability and insurance

• The law as relates to specific applications: telecommunications and broadcasting, remote sensing, scientific experiment and exploration, manned activities including the International Space Station, unmanned activities

• Space policy and the institutions that implement them



The Course will be of interest to policy-makers, legal professionals, space sector executives and engineers, officials of government and international bodies, academics and post-graduate degree candidates.

The course is designed to be accessible to those in legal, technical or business training or employment. Previous knowledge of law or policy is not required. It will be particularly appropriate for those working in the space sector who wish to increase their knowledge of the current legal and policy framework, in order to take full advantage of the available opportunities and to create new ones.

The Course will be valuable for a variety of individuals.


• Satellite manufacturing or operation team members seeking an understanding of legal issues relating to design, manufacture or provision of space products and services

• Law, business and technology post-graduate students interested in the field

• Insurers and executives who want the tools to evaluate legal aspects of risk and liability

• Managers and team leaders of space operations who wish to better understand the legal and policy issues they encounter, and to be able to plan more proactively

• IGO and space agency team members concerned with national and international issues arising from activities in space, such as earth observation, and their regulation

• Lawyers and jurists whose practice brings them into contact with space law through legal evidence from satellites, contractual matters or international commerce


Note: Undergraduates please register for our short course in space law later this year.

CPD

The course qualifies for 15 hours CPD for Solicitors (SRA) and for Barristers (to be confirmed). Other professionals: please contact your respective professional bodies about whether the course will qualify for CPD.

ISPL Congratulates The Winner of the 2013 Lachs Moot

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013

The 2013 Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition was won by the team from Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA. The International Institute of Air and Space Law, Leiden University, the Netherlands was runner-up. Semi-finalists were the University of Pretoria, South Africa and National Law University (Delhi), India.

ISPL congratulates the members of these teams, their supporters and sponsors, as well as the other teams that competed.  “The Lachs Moot is a tremendous challenge for students of space law, and the quality of the entrants is always extremely high.  The competing teams deserve considerable praise for their dedication and hard work.” 

The World Finals were held at the Beijing Institute of Technology Law School, Beijing, China on 26 September 2013. Total participating universities numbered 60 from four regions. The 2013 problem was the Case Concerning the Operation of a Lunar Station (Lydios v Endymion), written by Professor Setsuko Aoki, Japan.

For more information about the awards, past and present, including the names of this year’s top teams and judges, see the IISL website.

For those considering entering the competition, the problem has been set for the 2014 Moot.

Space Law Short Course (CPD)

Tuesday, February 12th, 2013

ISPL offered an introduction to space law and policy in a short course in April and May 2013. Non-lawyers and lawyers in other fields found it of interest, as did professionals and students in many disciplines.    Details of the Spring 2013 course are available here.

The Space Law and Policy course is intended for professionals desiring a good understanding of national, European, and international space law, and for students interested in broadening their education. It is a requirement for non-lawyers wishing to pursue a higher degree with ISPL.  ISPL is a CPD provider for Barristers and  Solicitors.

Future Space Law Courses will be advertised to those on our Events Notification list, and to those who have expressed interest in attending.  Please fill in our Events Notification Form if you would like to be notified of future courses.