News
IISL President speaks at UN Conference on Space Law and Policy
21 November 2024. IISL President Kai-Uwe Schrogl was invited to speak today at the 2024 United Nations Conference on Space Law Policy in Vienna, Austria, taking place from 19 to 21 November 2024. The UN Conference on Space Law and Policy is part of a long-standing series of capacity-building organizing over 15 workshops and conferences on space law and policy, organised by the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs. This year the Office has moved back to the traditional style of having it held as an in-person event. More information on the UN Conference on Space Law and Policy is available on the dedicated website of the United Nations. Schrogl spoke on Day 3 of the Conference during the panel on National Space Legislation (Panel 2), which included the following panelists: His presentation is available below. The Conference was attended by many IISL members and was received very well and the Programme is available below. The Conference objectives were met and a final report reflecting the successful discussions was adopted during the closing session of the Conference. The report will be made available on the dedicated UNOOSA webpage for the UN Conference on Space Law and Policy.
IISL President and Members speak at AALCO Webinar on Space Law for Emerging Space Actors
20 November 2024. IISL President Kai-Uwe Schrogl as well as several IISL members were invited to participate today in the Webinar on Space Law for Emerging Space Actors, organised by the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO). The webinar aims to explore the significance of space law-making for new entrants to the space sector, examine how the experiences of mature space powers in Asia, Europe, and North America can inform these processes, and emphasise the importance of aligning national legislation with international space law. The topic “Legal Issues in Outer Space” was incorporated into the Organization’s agenda following a proposal by India at the Sixty-first Annual Session in Bali, Indonesia, in 2023. This initiative was further developed during the Sixty-Second Annual Session held in Bangkok, Thailand, in September 2024, where in-depth deliberations took place. These discussions highlighted the multifaceted challenges arising from the proliferation of space activities by various state and non-state actors, encompassing issues of safety, security, environmental protection, and a myriad of legal complexities. AALCO Member States emphasised the critical need to preserve outer space exclusively for peaceful purposes, expressing concerns about potential weaponization. The Bangkok session also highlighted the importance of capacity-building in space law for emerging space actors. In response to these developments and to support collaborative dialogue on establishing inclusive and peace-oriented governance structures for outer space, the AALCO Secretariat has organised this webinar. More information on the webinar is available in the Concept Note of the event, available below. Schrogl participated as a panelist in Panel 2 of the Webinar on International Experiences in Space Regulation. All invited speakers to the event were IISL members, among which took part in Panel 1: In Panel 2 of the Webinar, IISL members participating were: Moreover, IISL members participated in the audience of the event.
IISL PRISM Committee: Open Call for new members!
Committee on Public Relations Including Social Media – PRISM Dear IISL Members, The IISL Committee on Public Relations Including Social Media (PRISM Committee) is currently reforming. It is the main mission of the PRISM Committee to use all modern means for communication with the general public to raise awareness of and further enhance the visibility of IISL and of the relevance of its activities in order to further the aims and objectives of IISL, in accordance with the IISL Statute and the IISL By-Laws, and to ensure the interests of IISL are properly and in a coherent fashion represented. Work of the Committee includes the IISL’s public appearance, such as on its website, the newsletter, and social media channels. In addition, the Committee works to bring our members together and has initiatives such as the Members’ News and the IISL Knowledge Constellation under its mandate. More information on the IISL Studies and Communications Committees can be found here. If you are interested in joining the PRISM Committee, please send your (informal) expression of interest to prism@iisl.space. The deadline for expression of interest is 15 December 2024. We are looking forward to hearing from you! IISL PRISM CommitteeScarlet O’Donnell, Chair Contact: prism@iisl.space
Save the Date – 13 December 2024: 19th Annual Eilene M. Galloway IISL Symposium on Critical Issues in Space Law
A day of insightful discussions and networking at @Akin Gump in Washington DC. This IISL Symposium is a tribute to the enduring contributions of Eilene M. Galloway to space law and policy. Organized in partnership with McGill IASL and Space Court Foundation. To register, for either in-person or virtual, please go to spacecourtfoundation.org/IISLGalloway.
Call for Participation – Working Group on Indigenous Law and Governance and Non-State Peoples’ Law and Governance in International Outer Space Law
Working Group Overview The expansion of outer space activities, including resource extraction and satellite deployment, necessitates a re-evaluation of existing legal frameworks to ensure globality and inclusivity. This Working Group, under the auspices of the International Institute for Space Law (IISL), aims to address these emerging challenges and opportunities and contribute to the ongoing evaluation of an interplay between international law (lex generalis) and international outer space law (lex specialis). Call for Participation The Working Group endeavours to foster a worldwide, inclusive, and pluralistic process of participation and drafting. We invite expressions of interest from IISL members, and experts from other disciplines to join this initiative. Emphasis will be placed on members’ existing expertise and background in specific topics, while ensuring expansive representation from all global regions. Selection criteria for membership selection In addition to expertise in space law, we are focusing on extensive and demonstrated experience (lived, professional, and academic) in these specialized areas of research and analysis. Call for participation The document providing the call for participation can be found below. More information More information can be found on the dedicated page for the Working Group:
IISL intensifies and expands partnerships at IAC 2024
Next to our IISL Colloquium, the IAC 2024 and its exhibition offered the possibility to intensify and extend international partnerships of our Institute. New contacts into all regions of the world were made, that are going to create new and exciting shared activities with our partners. Below, see some of the impressions of perspectives of our week at IAC 2024: Azercosmos – Space Academy On 15 October, IISL’s Kai-Uwe Schrogl (President), PJ Blount (Executive Secretary), Mahulena Hofmann (Board member), and Scarlet O’Donnell (Board member) met with representatives Narkhanim Orujova and Imran Mukhtarov from Azercosmos as well as Azercosmos’ Space Academy, in order to discuss potential cooperation of the two entities in the future. Ms. Narkhanim Orujova is IISL Member and very effectively supported IISL with the organisation of the Institute’s activities during the IAC in Baku – many thanks again to her on this occasion. Collaboration would especially focus on knowledge transfer and cooperation with regard to jointly organised events. IISL Board member Mahulena Hofmann is the newly appointed Chair of the IISL Directorate of Studies (DoS) and has been appointed as point of contact for Azercosmos on the topic. SIA-India IISL met with SIA-India — An Association for the Space Industry, to discuss potential future collaboration between our two entities. With Anil Prakash and Rajeev Gambhir representing SIA, at the focus of the deliberations were issues such as space sustainability as well as space governance of emerging space faring countries. The meeting was enabled through incoming IISL Vice-President, Ranjana Kaul, from India. China IISL met with delegates from China at IAC, with whom there exists a long-standing relationship based on IISL’s annual participation in the China Space Conference. Every year, the two organisations collaborate to hold a Space Law Symposium. At the IAC in Milan, the collaboration was reiterated and the next Space Law Symposium in 2025 was confirmed. Türkiye – collaboration for IAC 2026 in Antalya IISL President Kai-Uwe Schrogl met with Member of the Turkish Parliament, Ms. Zeynep Yildiz, who shares a strong interest in space law, in the context of the IAF meeting of Ministers and Members of Parliament. It was agreed that with a view to the IAC 2026 in Antalya, IISL and the Turkish IAC hosts will hold a Workshop on Space Law in summer 2025 in the run-up to the Congress. WiA – Women in Aerospace On 14 October 2024, IISL President Kai-Uwe Schrogl took part in the Meet&Greet organised by WiA Europe — a meeting and networking opportunity for young talent in the industry. The meeting was met by a lot of interest and new connections could be formed. European Space Agency – ESOC The European Space Agency’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), serving as the main mission control centre for the European Space Agency, took note of IISL’s lunchtime event of Tuesday, 15 October 2024, where the IISL Working Group on AI in Space presented its preliminary findings and entered into dialogue with the audience, to collect feedback for drafting the final report on its study. ESOC expressed interest in holding a special event for ESA employees, where the Working Group would highlight its most important findings. IAF General Assembly During the International Astronautical Federation’s (IAF) General Assembly, IISL President Kai-Uwe Schrogl presented the Institute’s past and current activities, as well as an outlook to the future. Moreover, ESA Astronaut Matthias Maurer’s video on the importance of space law was shared with the attendants of the IAF General Assembly. The message of the video, which focuses on space sustainability, were well aligned with the theme of the conference: “Responsible space for sustainability”. Communications – SpaceWatch.Global On Friday, 18 October 2024, IISL President Kai-Uwe Schrogl participated in Space Watch Global’s ‘Space Café’ with Torsten Kriening. The episode was broadcasted live from the IAC in Milan. Schrogl discussed the vibrant atmosphere at IAC 2024 in Milan, highlighting the growing interest in space activities among governments, commercial entities, and the younger generation. He emphasized the importance of democratizing space and the need for effective legal frameworks. Schrogl detailed the IISL’s flagship Moot Court Competition, which saw the team from Singapore win, and underscored the relevance of space law in addressing issues like light pollution and AI regulation. He also noted the challenges of harmonizing national space laws and the urgency of space traffic management. The episode can be watched on SpaceWatch.Global’s site here.
IISL President keynote and interview during SDSC 2024
29 October 2024. IISL President Kai-Uwe Schrogl spoke in the context of the Software Defined Space Conference with Remco Timmermans, independent online marketing consultant for space. Schrogl (IISL, ESA) gave a keynote speech together with Tomas Hrozensky (ESPI) and Paul Liias (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, Estonia) on the topic of New Space Policy Initiatives on Day 1 of the Conference. In the interview with Timmermans, he spoke about why the Outer Space Treaty is still as relevant today as when it was drafted in 1967. They also covered how having a national space law supports the development of a space economy in countries like Estonia, and the importance of regulating behaviour of states and commercial actors in space. The interview is available on LinkedIn.
Six days left to register for the UN World Space Forum 2024!
Only 6 days left to register for the UN World Space Forum 2024! The #WSF2024 is organized by UNOOSA in cooperation with Germany, the UAE and Peru from 3-5 December at the UN Campus in Bonn. Representatives from governments, agencies, science, business and civil society will discuss how space can become more sustainable and how satellites facilitate the implementation of the SDGs on Earth? Some central topics are: 👉 Preserving the Space Environment – Space Debris Mitigation & Space Debris Remediation👉 Ensuring Space Sustainability – How to Implement Space Traffic Management👉Sustainable Lunar Activities – Information Sharing & Balancing the Needs of Science and Industry👉 SDG 17 – Partnership for Sustainable Development Goals & Collaborating with Science and Industry to Tackle Climate Change👉Continuing the Space Dialogue: The multilateral way forward for space governance Register and stay tuned to have the chance to participate in these multifaceted discussions and side events organised on the margins of WSF2024… and once you receive the official UNOOSA invitation letter, don’t forget to confirm participation to be counted to the group of WSF2024 participants. See you there!
Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition Finals successfully held in Milan
The 2024 Finals of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition were successfully held in Milan. The Finals took place at the Palazzo Emilio Turati, the site of the Milan Chamber of Commerce. The Competition was organised by the IISL Moot Court Committee, comprised of Steven Freeland (Chair), Leslie I. Tennen (Co-Chair), Martha Mejia-Kaiser (Honorary Member), Melissa K. Force (Co-Chair), Alexander Soucek (Co-Chair), Isavella Vasilogeorgi (Co-Chair), and Masahiko Satoh (Co-Chair). The Competition was judged by three sitting Judges of the International Court of Justice: H.E. Judge Peter Tomka (Slovakia), H.E. Judge Iwasawa Yuji (Japan), and H.E. Judge Leonardo Nemer Caldeira Brant (Brazil). The participarting teams The Regional Rounds of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition 2024 were organised by the Regional Organisers: Nomfuneko Majaja (Regional Organiser Africa), Yu Takeuchi (Regional Organiser Asia-Pacific), V. Gopalakrishnan (Associate Regional Organiser Asia-Pacific), Nathan Johnson (Regional Organiser North America), Hristina Talkova (Regional Organiser Europe), and Jairo Becerra (Regional Organiser Latin America) and Laura Gamarra (Assistant Regional Organiser for Latin America). The winners of the five regional rounds traveling to Milan and participating in the Semi Finals leading up to the Finals on 17 October 2024 were: Africa: Midlands State University (Zimbabwe)Asia-Pacific: Singapore Management University (Singapore)Europe: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece)Latin America: National Autonomous University of Mexico (Mexico)North America: McGill University (Canada) The two winning teams concluding the Semi Finals successfully and standing for the Finals were: Asia-Pacific: Singapore Management University (Singapore);Europe: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece). Winners of the 2024 Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition Finals 2024 The Moot Court Finals were won by the Asia-Pacific team from Singapore Management University (Singapore). Singapore Management University (Singapore): Ms. Wu Zhi Yi GenieveMs. Ho Li Hui ElizabethMs. Toh Hsuan Hui RaeleeFaculty Advisor: Prof. Chen SiyuanFaculty Advisor Assistant: Ms. Teo Yi Ting Bernadette Moot brochure 2024 This year’s Moot Brochure can be downloaded below. Photo impressions Moot Finals 2024 More information on the Competition This year’s Moot Case was authored by Hristina Talkova, Jack Nelson and Rosanna Hoffmann. For more information on the 2024 Moot Competition, please refer to our dedicated web page:
IISL Awards Dinner 2024 and IISL Awardees
The IISL Awards Dinner 2024 took place on Thursday, 17 October 2024, at the Palazzo Emilio Turati in Milan — the site of the Milan Chamber of Commerce, where also the IISL Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition took place. In a celebratory and cheerful ambience, the IISL awards were presented by Marco Ferrazzani on behalf of the IISL Awards Committee, composed of K. R. Sridhara Murthi (Chair), Olavo de Oliveira Bittencourt Neto, and Corinne Jorgenson; and Mark Sundahl and Mahulena Hofmann for the Diederiks-Verschoor Committee. The 2024 awards were bestowed as well as some awards from 2023, that could not be presented in person last year. For an overview of all IISL Awardees, see also here. Awardees 2024 Lifetime Achievement The IISL Lifetime Achievement Award recognises outstanding lifetime dedication to the development and furtherance of space law. This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Marco Ferrazzani, “[i]n recognition of his many decades of outstanding services to the international space law community and the International Institute of Space Law, to which he has made invaluable contribution as Director and his distinct contributions in the creation of the European Centre for Space Law, his strong stewardship in supporting the Manfred Lachs Moot Court in the European region, and his notable role for capacity building in different regions of the world and for promotion of international cooperation in the field of exploration and peaceful uses of Outer Space”. Distinguished Service The Distinguished Service Award honours extraordinary achievements to the goals of IISL. This year’s Distinguished Service Award was presented to Rafael Moro Aguilar — “a renowned scholar in the field of Space Law, made outstanding contributions in the very challenging role as a co- editor of the annual IISL proceedings for about a decade. Rafael has also richly contributed to the IISL working group on light pollution of the night sky from a space law perspective and has also further strived hard in establishing the linkage with International Astronomical Union. Rafael spearheaded the promotion and dissemination of space law in the Spanish speaking countries and had also undertaken the Spanish edition of Cologne Commentary on Space Law, Volume I”. Certificate of Gratitude The Certificate of gratitude recognises extraordinary services rendered to the Institute. This year, the Certificate of Gratitude was presented to Yu Takeuchi as well as Jairo A. Becerra and Laura Gamarra-Amaya in recognition of their extraordinary support of the Institute. Yu Takeuchi is serving as Co-Chair of the STM WG since 2021 and contributed to presenting WG’s research result at the IAC 2023 and its achievement of promoting legal aspect of STM at COPUOS Legal Subcommittee. He served as Associate Regional Organizer of Asia-Pacific of the Moot Court Competition 2023 and currently is Regional Organizer for 2024 Competition. His contributions had been essential in the increased recognition of the IISL activities among policy makers and by the Japanese government. Jairo A. Becerra and Laura Gamarra-Amaya, as professors at the Faculty of Law of the Catholic University of Colombia have been passionately promoting space law education and research among Latin American students. Their hard work and advocacy over the years led to organisation of a regional round of the Manfred Lachs Competition in Latin America. Young Achiever Award The Space Law Award for Young Achievers was introduced as a new category of award in early 2019 and recognises meritorious contributions or outstanding achievements relevant to the field of space law or distinctive service to the activities, events or goals of IISL by young individuals. This year, the Award was presented to Ruvimbo Samanga and Scarlet O’Donnell. Ruvimbo Samanga, is Space Law & Policy Analyst/Researcher, with mission to collaborate on space-related, capacity building research for the African and the global space sector. She has been the Ambassador of Milo Space Science Institute and had supported international projects. She has been recognised by IAF with the Young Space Leader Award in 2022 , had been serving in the Advisory Board Member Inter Astra Retreat and completed the African Space Policy & Strategy Course from African Space Leadership Institute. Scarlet O’Donnell made scholarly contributions to the principle of international responsibility for activities in Outerspace. She is a doctorate in essential field of space law, supported emerging space faring nations with regard to adherence to space global governance, and had rendered substantive support to IISL in various functions. With the backdrop of work experience in UNOOSA and DLR, and with a continuous engagement of discourses on Space Law tempered with an analytical articulation, Scarlet represents a fine example of the energetic new generation that links the rich traditions of space law with the renewed pathways of future generations. For more information on this year’s young achievers, see also here: Diederiks-Verschoor Award The Diederiks-Verschoor Award 2024 was presented to this year’s winner David Eagleson by Mark Sundahl and Mahulena Hofmann. The IISL Board of Directors additionally annually grants the Prof. Dr I.H.Ph. Diederiks-Verschoor Award, given to the best paper accepted for presentation at the Institute’s Colloquium during the IAC by an author not older than 30 years and who has not published more than five papers in the Proceedings of IISL Colloquia. A medal is donated each year by the initiator of the Award, Prof. Oscar Fernandez Brital from Argentina. Awardees 2023 IISL presented the 2023 Awardees who were not presented with their Awards in person last year, during this year’s ceremony. For a full list of IISL Awardees please see here. Lifetime Achievement Award The Lifetime Achievement Award 2023 was presented to Lesley Jane Smith. Lesley Jane Smith was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award for two decades of distinctive contribution to IISL. Various roles, including the current position of Vice-President of the Board of Directors, Director, International Programme Committee Co-Chair to name a few. She also contributed to establishment of strong cooperation between the IISL and the International Astronautical Federation, among other things having served as the legal counsel of the IAF and working tirelessly for over a decade to coordinate