News

IISL Working Group on Interplanetary Internet Holds Inaugural Event with UNU-CRIS

The International Institute of Space Law (IISL) Working Group on Interplanetary Internet held its inaugural session, marking a significant step toward advancing research on future space‑based communication networks. Chaired by Berna Akcali Gur of the UNU-CRIS Digital Governance Cluster, the Working Group will guide research on the legal foundations of interplanetary connectivity, informed by relevant policy and technical considerations. The Group aims to produce a report that identifies applicable norms and principles of outer space Read more

By adminSL, ago

The IISL Awards season 2026 is open: Call for nominations

IISL honors exceptional contributions to space law at its Annual Awards Dinner during the annual IISL Colloquium, with accolades including the Lifetime Achievement Award and Distinguished Service Award, among others. The call for nominations for the 2026 Awards season is now open! Nominations will be received until Friday, 27 February 2026. For more info, please visit our dedicated web page:

By adminSL, ago

New IISL venture: Call for Expert Initiative on Article XI OST

Dear IISL Members, We are starting a new membership engagement format: an IISL Expert Intitiative. We invite expressions of interest to join a new IISL venture: an IISL Expert Initiative on Article XI of the Outer Space Treaty (OST). The goal is to compile a contribution to the 2026 Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) Legal Subcommittee’s (LSC) Working Group on the Status and Application of the Five UN Treaties on Outer Read more

By adminSL, ago

IISL Working Group on AI in Space Featured in Stanford Law School Policy Lab

The International Institute of Space Law (IISL) Working Group on the Legal Aspects of Artificial Intelligence in Space was recently featured as a core component of Stanford Law School’s Space Law & Policy Lab, “Governing Autonomous & AI-Enabled Systems in Outer Space,” a two-quarter policy lab advising The Aerospace Corporation, where Tuana Yazici, Chair of the IISL Working Group, was invited to serve as the first guest expert speaker for the inaugural course. As part Read more

By adminSL, ago

Obituary Prof. Karl-Heinz Böckstiegel

The International Institute of Space Law announces with great sadness the passing of Prof. Karl-Heinz Böckstiegel on 19 Dec. 2025. Professor Böckstiegel was former director of the Institute and later Honorary Director of IISL. He was the fifth director of the Cologne Institute of Air and Space Law from 1975 to 2001. He was an outstanding figure in international commercial law and international arbitration. In the field of air and space law he was chairman Read more

By adminSL, ago

IISL Members’ Corner #20 held

IISL held its 20th IISL digital meetup and first edition of its updated format entitled IISL Members’ Corner on Saturday, 13 December 2025, 13:00-14:00 CET. IISL President Lesley Jane Smith opened the digital meetup by reflecting the achievements of the IISL of the year 2025, and setting the scene of European space activities in the context of the Draft EU Space Act, which was published by the EU in June 2025. In this session, our Read more

By adminSL, ago

Save the Date – 11 December 2025: 20th Annual Eilene M. Galloway IISL Symposium on Critical Issues in Space Law

This annual IISL Symposium is a tribute to the enduring contributions of Eilene M. Galloway to space law and policy. Join us on 11 December 08:00-17:00 EST (Eastern Standard Time) for a day of insightful discussions and networking at @Akin Gump in Washington DC. The event features distinguished panelists and audience, including IISL President Lesley-Jane Smith and IISL Treasurer Dennis Burnett. Topics this year include: Regional Updates, IP, Exploring the Global Space Nuclear Sector, FCC Read more

By adminSL, ago

Register for IISL Member’s Corner #20

The 20th IISL digital meetup and first edition of its updated format entitled IISL Members’ Corner will be held on Saturday, 13 December 2025, 13:00-14:00 CET. In this digital meetup, Raphaël Lescouzères will discuss technical aspects of the Draft EU Space Act. Raphaël is Head of the Department of Satellite Systems Engineering at OHB Systems AG.

By adminSL, ago

IISL Board of Directors Fall Meeting held

The IISL Board of Directors held its Fall Meeting on 29 September 2025 during the 2025 IAC in Sydney, just ahead of the opening of its annual Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space. The meeting was chaired by IISL President Kai-Uwe Schrogl and prepared by Executive Secretary PJ Blount. At its Fall Meeting, traditionally held on the first day of IAC, the IISL Board had on its agenda: updates from the IISL Membership Committee, Read more

By adminSL, ago

2025 Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court: World Final in Sydney

We are pleased to invite attendees of the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Sydney to the World Final of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition, to be held on Thursday, 2 October 2025. This distinguished event will feature oral arguments before sitting judges of the International Court of Justice: H.E. Judge Dire Tladi of South Africa, H.E. Judge Peter Tomka of Slovakia, and H.E. Judge Bogdan-Lucian Aurescu of Romania. The programme will begin Read more

By IISL, ago