Catalog

Technical programme

IAC-20 — IAC CyberSpace Edition

E7. IISL COLLOQUIUM ON THE LAW OF OUTER SPACE

The 2021 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, within its scope, such as cyber. The Colloquium looks at current discussions about the models of international cooperation on the way to the Moon and Mars. 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 (STM). 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.

Coordinator

Lesley Jane Smith
Leuphana University of Lüneburg/Weber-Steinhaus & Smith — Germany

Catherine Doldirina
International Institute of Space Law (IISL) — Italy

E7.1. IISL Young Scholars session and Dr. Jasentuliyana Keynote lecture by a leading space law expert

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 leading space law expert. In 2020, the invited speaker is Prof. Stephan Hobe from Germany.

Co-Chair

Kai-Uwe Schrogl
International Institute of Space Law (IISL) — France

Mohamed Amara
UAE Space Agency — United Arab Emirates

Rapporteur: Jenni Tapio
International Institute of Space Law (IISL) — Finland

E7.2. Moon and Mars Settlement: Open Legal Issues

The future Moon and Mars settlements shall not take place in a lawless space. They will be framed by valid international law; this has, however, only general answers to numerous concrete questions. To discuss the question of application of international and national laws to the future settlements on celestial bodies, the session invites contributions on the issues of authorization of space activities, the collision of national legislations, the jurisdiction in civil and criminal cases, the extension of human rights to the persons on the celestial bodies, the ownership of objects created on celestial bodies, intellectual property, the protection of environment, space transport, as well as allocation of frequencies to the Lunar and Martian communication.

Co-Chair

Mahulena Hofmann
University of Luxembourg — Luxembourg

Zhenjun Zhang
China Institute of Space Law — China

Rapporteur: Federico Bergamasco
University of Luxembourg — Luxembourg

E7.3. Legal Implications of Evolving Remote Sensing Technologies

New and evolving remote sensing technologies pertinent to all aspects of remote sensing activities are rapidly progressing and being deployed worldwide. A wider and greater availability of such technology is reinforced by new space-based systems, including smallsats, constellations and launch vehicles, data collection and storage capabilities. These advances are catalyzing a new generation of national laws and regulations while adding new issues for existing international space law to resolve or address. The U.S. is in the process of legislating an entirely new remote sensing law. New Zealand has new laws applicable to launching activities that take into account the explosive growth of small satellite data collection. Portugal has new legislation addressing the commercial potential of these activities. At the international level, the question of international responsibility under the Outer Space Treaty becomes ever more relevant. Furthermore, states need to address how to “authorize and continually supervise” remote sensing systems that use new technologies. Legal aspects regarding access to and processing of remote sensing data are also changing as more data is generated by the private sector for government use at both national and international levels. This session invites authors to contribute to these and other legal aspects of remote sensing.

Co-Chair

Joanne Gabrynowicz
International Institute of Space Law (IISL) — United States

George (Georgios) D. Kyriakopoulos
National and Kapodistrian University Of Athens — Greece

Rapporteur: Kamlesh Brocard
Swiss Space Office (SSO) — Switzerland

E7.4. Application of space law to cyber activities

It is difficult to overstate the reach of cybertechnologies, which have become embedded in the everyday life of developed and developing countries alike. Space is no exception to the reach of these technologies. This session will investigate the legal issues that arise from the various aspects of the intersection of space activities and cyberspace. Some questions to be discussed are: When do cyber activities relate to space systems (manned and non-manned) in a way that they can be considered as space activities under the space treaties? Are unauthorized cyber activities [e.g., interference], such as the hacking of flight or payload controls of a space object, space activities? Can an unauthorized cyber activity [e.g., interference] to databases on the ground that hold data or provide conjunction assessment be considered a space activity under the space treaties? How responsibility and liability under the space treaties are applicable? Can a cyber activity be legally considered as an ‘attack’? Which scenarios would fall under the term ‘attack’ and which do not?

Co-Chair

PJ Blount
Cardiff University — United Kingdom

Martha Mejia-Kaiser
International Institute of Space Law (IISL) — Germany

Rapporteur: Rada Popova
Isar Aerospace Technologies GmbH — Germany

E7.5. National space law developments with particular focus on the Middle East region

National space law implements the principles and general norms of space law to ensure their applicability and enforcement at national level. It also reflects the details of a state’s national regulatory structure as well as elements of national legal culture. Since national space law defines the scope of space activities and those falling under its jurisdiction, it has a comparative nature. This annual session has a particular focus this year on the national space statutes and regulations promulgated across the Middle east. It also invites consideration of whether and if so, how states approach implementation of the various sets of non-binding rules applicable to outer space activities, whether debris mitigation or the more recently approved long term sustainability guidelines the soft law rules of space law the extent to which considers the extent to which in 2020 on developments in space law with a particular regard to the middle eastern region. It has a comparative format and has enabled the transitions and reforms in the community of national space statutes to be followed.

Co-Chair

Armel Kerrest
University of Western Brittany (UBO) — France

K.R. Sridhara Murthi
NIAS — India

Rapporteur: Zeina Ahmad
University of Cologne — Germany

E7.7. Space Law in a Networked World

Space applications have entered human daily lives all over the globe. Voice and Interned-based communications, weather reports and emergency warnings, navigation and positioning, images and video flows emerge, literally, from our pockets. Not only people and businesses have become constantly networked via space capabilities, but also machines. These process big data and furnish us with vital information for decision-making. This may even include decision-making for us. Could the authors of the United Nations space treaties have imagined how significant those principles of space activities were or would become for ensuring public interest and the quality of life, health, and well-being of Earth’s population? Tangible changes in the exploration and use of outer space have taken, and continue to take place. With an ever increasing number of space actors and the continuous development of new technologies, space is becoming more accessible and affordable. This session aims at discussing whether traditional space law still keeps pace with modern times or there is an urgent need to reflect these changes in a regulatory framework.

Co-Chair

Elina Morozova
Intersputnik International Organization of Space Communications — Russian Federation

Olga Stelmakh-Drescher
International Institute of Space Law (IISL) — Germany

Rapporteur: Gina Petrovici
German Space Agency — Germany

E7.VP. Virtual Presentations - IISL COLLOQUIUM ON THE LAW OF OUTER SPACE

This session offers a unique opportunity to deliver your key messages in an interactive presentation on any of the subjects of Space Law addressed in the classic Sessions. 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. The presentation will be displayed on a digital screen in a dedicated location and available for view by all Congress attendees for the entire Congress week. In addition, one afternoon is dedicated exclusively for the attendees to view the Interactive Presentations, and the author will be assigned a specific ten minute slot to personally present the topic and interact with the attendees present. The Interactive Presentation may take advantage of all electronic display capabilities, such as: PowerPoint charts, embedded hot links, pictures, audio and video clips etc. An award will also be presented to the author of the best Interactive Presentation in the E Category at a special ceremony. An Abstract that follows the standard format must be submitted by the deadline for standard IAC abstracts.

Co-Chair

Lesley Jane Smith
Leuphana University of Lüneburg/Weber-Steinhaus & Smith — Germany

Catherine Doldirina
International Institute of Space Law (IISL) — Italy