Tanja Masson-Zwaan
President Emerita
Dr. Tanja Masson-Zwaan is Assistant Professor and Deputy Director of the International Institute of Air and Space Law at Leiden University, and President Emerita of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL). She is a Vice President of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF).
She co-authored ‘Introduction to Space Law’ (5th ed., Kluwer 2025) and chairs the Board of Editors of Kluwer’s journal Air and Space Law. Her PhD dissertation ‘Widening the Horizons of Outer Space Law’ was published in the Meijers Series of Leiden Law School.
Tanja advises the Dutch Government and other institutions on space law issues and was co-founder of the Hague International Space Resources Governance Working Group. The Dutch Government appointed her as an arbitrator for space-related disputes at the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
Tanja teaches at universities worldwide and was appointed Adjunct Professor at Wuhan University (China) and as Global Faculty at International Space University (ISU). She serves on various organisations’ (Advisory) Boards, including Open Lunar Foundation, the Interplanetary Initiative of Arizona State University, and the Space Sustainability Rating.
She is an elected full member of professional associations such as IISL, the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and the International Law Association (ILA). She was a Member of the Founding Boards of the European Centre for Space Law (ECSL) and of Women in Aerospace-Europe, and is an Honorary Board Member of Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC).
Tanja received several awards and is a Member of Honour of the Netherlands Space Society (NVR). In 2020 she received a Royal decoration as ‘Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau’ for her work in space law.
Nandasiri Jasentuliyana
President Emeritus
Dr. Jasentuliyana, a national of Sri Lanka, is President Emeritus of the International Institute of Space Law. He holds advanced degrees in Law and International Relations from Universities of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), London and McGill, and is a Attorney-at-Law. He holds a Graduate Diploma in Air and Space Law from the International Institute of Air & Space Law in Montreal, Canada, and has served as an intern at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
He was formerly Deputy Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna and Director of the Office for Outer Space Affairs.
Authorship
He is the author of the four-volume “Manual of Space Law”, Oceana (1979),
“International Space Law and the United Nations”, Kluwer Law (1999), “International Space Programmes and Policies”, North Holland (1984); and Editor of “Space Law: Development and Scope”, Prager (1991), and “Perspectives on International Law”, Kluwer (1995).
Memberships and Board Positions
He has been a visiting lecturer at Princeton, Stanford, Columbia and McGill. He is a Trustee of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), Member of the Board of Directors of International Space University (ISU), Member of the Bureau of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), and served as a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Space Policy and the Journal of Space Law. He was the recipient of the 1982 Testimonial Award of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) awarded annually in recognition of important contribution to Space Law & Policy and the 1989 Leadership Award of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). He was selected by the United States National Space Society to its unique worldwide list of “100 space people who have had the greatest impact on our lives”.
Awards
Dr Nandasiri Jasentuliyana was the recipient of the 1982 Testimonial Award of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) awarded annually in recognition of important contribution to Space Law & Policy and the 1989 Leadership Award of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). He was selected by the United States National Space Society to its unique worldwide list of “100 space people who have had the greatest impact on our lives”. Dr Nandasiri Jasentuliyana is the recipient of an IISL Testimonial Certificate (1982).