The 2024 IAC will take place in Milan, Italy, from 14 to 18 October 2024.
As always, the IISL Colloquium is domiciled in Symposium E7.
This year's Moot Court Finals and IISL Awards Dinner are kindly supported by Greenberg Traurig, LLP. The Finals will be held on Thursday 17 October, at the Palazzo Emilio Turati in Milan. The Dinner will take place on the same day in the evening.
See below for more details on our activities at the IAC 2024 in Milan!
IISL schedule
| 12 October Saturday | 13 October Sunday | 14 October Monday | 15 October Tuesday | 16 October Wednesday | 17 October Thursday | 18 October Friday |
| 11-15 h IISL Fall Board Meeting Rooms 4-5 MICO | 10:15 h IISL Colloquium Session 2 Green Hall 3 | 10:15 h IISL Colloquium Session 4 Green Hall 3 | 10:15 h IISL Colloquium Scientific Legal Roundtable Session 6 Green Hall 3 | 10:15 h IISL Colloquium Session 7 Green Hall 3 | ||
| 13-14 h IISL Lunchtime Event IISL Working Group on Legal Aspects of Al in Space Green Hall 3 | 13-14 h IISL Lunchtime Event General Counsel Roundtable Green Hall 3 | |||||
| 15:00 h IISL Colloquium Session 3 Green Hall 3 | 15:00 h IISL Colloquium Session 5 Green Hall 3 | 15:00 h IISL Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition Finals Palazzo Emilio Turati | ||||
| 19:00 h IISL Awards Dinner Palazzo Emilio Turati |
IISL Colloquium 2024
Symposium E7 -- IISL COLLOQUIUM ON THE LAW OF OUTER SPACE
The 2024 IISL Colloquium focuses on how the latest technological developments are impacting the development of the law of outer space, and on whether space law should embrace new fields of activities, such as cyber, within its scope. The Colloquium looks at current discussions about questions related to the ethics and understanding of what is meant by treaty law terms freedom of exploration and use. It examines how space situational awareness (SSA), space surveillance and tracking (SST) can be integrated as elements within a greater framework for effective space traffic management. It serves as a forum to discuss developments of national space law as a constitutive element of the overall framework of space law enforcing and detailing the principles and general norms of space law, in particular within the field of security. It looks at whether existing legal concepts, particularly responsibility and liability for autonomous systems driven by artificial intelligence, are sufficiently regulated, and whether there is a homogenous approach to licensing at national level. It also provides insights as to how disruptive NewSpace activities can and should be accommodated by space law.
IPC members
Coordinator: Prof. Lesley Jane Smith, Leuphana University of Lüneburg/Weber-Steinhaus & Smith, Germany;
Coordinator: Dr. Catherine Doldirina, International Institute of Space Law (IISL), Italy;
Coordinator: Dr. Tanja Masson-Zwaan, International Institute of Air and Space Law, Leiden University, The Netherlands.
Sessions
| 1. Young Scholars Session with Keynote Lecture | This session is open for abstracts and papers from space lawyers under 35 years old. It welcomes contributions on any topics related to space law. It also features a regular, annual keynote presentation by a High level expert and diplomat in the field of international space law. | 14 October 2024, 15:30 h |
| 2. Near Space: Legal Aspects of Aerospace Activities | In the last few years, technology is focusing not only on the use of outer space, but also of near space. The use of sub-orbital flights for testing purposes, the use of high-altitude platforms for communication, are only two examples of many. The panel invites authors to deliberate the challenges arising from the applicability of both air and space law. It discusses the future models for such activities, including the proposal on sub-orbital flights elaborated by the International Law Association, (ILA). | 15 October 2024, 10:15 h |
| 3. Artificial Intelligence and Safe Space Communication | At first sight, the use of AI raises legal questions connected with the attributability and liability for space activities; the establishment of fault in the event of damage in outer space then becomes even more complex in the process. However, this is not the full picture: The panel discusses not only the challenges AI brings to the present legal framework for outer space activities, but deliberates the legal steps designed to assist space assets reduce their vulnerability. | 15 October 2024, 15:00 h |
| 4. Launching into Outer Space | The original way of launching objects into outer space – one rocket, one object- has been revolutionized already long time ago. Today’s technology can use reusable launchers, multiply the load of space objects, and develop methods such as launching from sea platforms, ships, airplanes, or space objects themselves. Also new countries are joining the family of launching States. This situation opens questions connected with the applicability of the Liability Convention, with contracts, insurance, liability, and fault. The panel deliberates the legal setup of the present and planned spaceports, and the challenges they are facing. | 16 October 2024, 10:15 h |
| 5. Alternative Space Rules Setting | The UN space treaties were elaborated in the 60s and 70s; since the Moon Agreement, no universal space law agreement was agreed upon in the UN COPUOS. However, many other rules are existing which have direct influence on space activities: In some cases, international and regional standards and other recommendatory norms are replacing binding international framework. The panel will discuss whether the consensus principle can be replaced by alternative space norms setting or and under which conditions these two bodies of rules can complement each other. | 16 October 2024, 15:00 h |
| 6-E3.5. 38th IAA/IISL Scientific Legal Roundtable: "Cyberspace Security in Outer Space: Scientific, Technical and Legal Dimensions of a Dilemma" | (Invited papers only, please do not submit abstracts as these will be rejected.) Outer space and cyberspace are realms opened to human exploration and exploitation through scientific discovery, technological innovation and increasingly, commercial application. Spacecraft operating in near-earth orbital regions or in inter-planetary expanses rely on forms of electronic communication, often referred to as “cyberspace” to carry out their missions. Best practices and usage norms to ensure safe passage through outer space have evolved as direct counterparts to the rules and norms governing use of the radio spectrum and telecommunications technologies to avoid harmful, mission-endangering radio frequency interference. The technological shift to Internet-based telecommunications infrastructures is exposing space-based systems to terrestrial cyber-disruptions that are challenging long-standing technological practices and governance regimes in outer space. On-going earthbound military hostilities employing cyber-disruptions rooted in Internet network architectural vulnerabilities are already disabling or interfering with space-based communications. This IAA-IISL Roundtable will discuss whether scientific/technological trends as well as governance institutions and rules are sufficient to ensure space activities and systems may operate in a setting of cyber-security and not cyber-disruption. | 17 October 2024, 10:15 h |
| 7. Regional Space Legislation | The last years are facing a growing intensity of regional space law setting: The US initiated the recommendatory Artemis Accords, the Chinese-Russian MoU presupposes a creation of an International Lunar Research Station, and the European Union who adopted a space Directive only recently is working on the enlargement of its space legislation. The panel analyses the regional space law and its implementation and discusses its interplay with the UN legal framework. | 18 October 2024, 10:15 h |
| IP. Interactive Presentations - IISL COLLOQUIUM ON THE LAW OF OUTER SPACE | The IP session is not restricted to any specific topic related to space law and invites authors to contribute presentations on any interesting, relevant and current space law issues. | |
| IPB. Interactive Presentations - IISL COLLOQUIUM ON THE LAW OF OUTER SPACE | Interactive. | |
| LBA. Late Breaking abstracts (LBA) | Interactive. |
IISL Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition Finals
The Finals will be held on
Thursday, 17 October 2024, 15:00 h
Palazzo Emilio Turati, Via Meravigli, 7, 20123 Milano, Italy
Buses will pick up attendees from Venue to the Palazzo.
More information on this year's case
Republic of Angani (Applicant) vs. Federal State of Bolvanger (Respondent)
Case Concerning The Protection Of Dark And Quiet Skies And The Freedom Of Scientific Investigation
can be found here.
The event takes place with the kind support of Greenberg Traurig.
IISL Awards Dinner
The 2024 IISL Annual Awards Dinner will take place on
Thursday, 17 October 2024, 19:00 h
Palazzo Emilio Turati, Via Meravigli, 7, 20123 Milano, Italy
Registration for the Dinner is now open here: IISL Awards Dinner Registration
IMPORTANT -- Note on Dietary Requirements:
All dietary requirements and preferences have to be submitted to us by 5 October 2024, in order to ensure the delivery from the caterer.
The event takes place with the kind support of Greenberg Traurig.
IISL Lunchtime Events during IAC
During this year’s IAC in Milan, IISL will hold two special lunch time events: a General Counsel Roundtable and the presentation of the current work under the IISL Study Group on Legal Aspects of AI in space.
Both events are open to IISL Members and IAC participants. An update with the participating experts will be provided in the week ahead of the Congress.
General Counsel Roundtable
On Wednesday, 16 October 2024 at 13-14 h in Green Hall 3
For this event, General Counsels from agencies and ministries are invited for a roundtable discussion of current issues General Counsels are dealing with.
Presentation and Discussion on the Draft Findings of the IISL Working Group on Legal Aspects of Al in Space
On Tuesday, 15 October 2024 at 13-14 h in Green Hall 3
The IISL Study Group on Legal Aspects of AI in Space will share its draft findings and open the floor for discussion with the audience.
IISL Happy Hour on information relevant for this year's IAC
You can find the recording of our most recent IISL Happy Hour of 26 September 2024, hosted by Prof. Setsuko Aoki and Quentin Verspieren, here.
IISL Officers shared important information relevant to this year's IISL Colloquium, the Moot Court finals, and the IISL Awards Dinner.
Links
Find below relevant links for the IISL Colloquium 2024:
