{"id":24791,"date":"2024-04-12T09:50:32","date_gmt":"2024-04-12T07:50:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uni.lu\/en\/?post_type=news&p=24791"},"modified":"2024-04-12T10:17:09","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T08:17:09","slug":"new-actors-new-space-law","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.uni.lu\/en\/news\/new-actors-new-space-law\/","title":{"rendered":"New actors, new space law"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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For many companies, the motto \u2018sky is the limit\u2019 looks vintage. Companies such as Blue Origin, SpaceX or Virgin Galactic show that states no longer have the lead in space activities. This shift also impacts space law.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For decades, space exploration has been dominated by states, with major milestones achieved during the Cold War era, including sending the first humans into orbit and landing on the Moon. While primarily led by governments and their agencies, the space sector has witnessed a significant shift since the turn of the century, with private companies like SpaceX emerging as key players. These companies have revolutionised space operations by lowering costs and driving innovation, paving the way for thousands of startups to find their way into the space economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Randi Ayman and G\u00fcne\u015f \u00dcn\u00fcvar, postdoctoral researchers at the Luxembourg Centre for European Law and scientific organisers of the conference \u2018Who leads the way in the new era of space? The new actors of international space law\u2019 (15-16 May 2024)<\/a>, shed light on non-state actors in space, space debris, and the urgent matters legislators are facing in the realm of everyday space technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are space-based technologies, and how do they affect our daily lives? How do people benefit from these technologies?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Randi Ayman: \u201cSpace-based technologies refer to technologies that are developed for use in outer space or that rely on information collected through space-based assets, such as satellites, probes, and other systems orbiting Earth or venturing into deeper space. These technologies have a direct impact on our daily lives in many ways. For example, they enable all kinds of communication, from international calls to internet access in remote areas, to watching TV and making secure bank transactions. There are also the GPS satellites which help us find our way with navigation apps like Google Maps, take rides with location-based services using apps like Uber, get food delivery and track it via Wolt, or play games like Pok\u00e9mon GO!. All these services are possible because of satellites in space that gather information and send signals to our devices, letting us stay connected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also benefit from space-based technologies in many novel ways. For example, weather forecast rely on data and imageries collected by remote sensing satellites that capture different information about the Earth’s atmosphere. Moreover, advanced satellites use artificial intelligence to deliver services such as agricultural planning, crop yield prediction, environmental monitoring, and disaster management. These advanced technologies allow early detection of natural disasters like wildfires or hurricanes more accurately, which helps us prepare for and deal with climate change. So, space technology isn\u2019t just about exploring space; it also contributes to improving life on Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given their far-reaching effects and use in modern society, what are some of the most important relevant legal questions? What should the legislators take into account?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

G\u00fcne\u015f \u00dcn\u00fcvar: \u201cGiven how embedded space technologies and their uses are in our daily lives, it is only normal that there are many legal questions arising out of their use. First of all, international law on outer space activities has existed since 1960s in the form of a number of international treaties. They emphasise, among others, principles such as peaceful use and exploration of outer space, mutual cooperation and assistance, and prohibition of non-appropriation of celestial objects. The types of space activities we witness nowadays are much more advanced and varied when compared to those in the 20th<\/sup> century. The actors who conduct these activities have also changed. Traditionally, only states undertook activities in outer space. Today, we see an exponential growth in private entities operating in this domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One important consideration for states regarding outer space is undoubtedly national security, given the so-called \u2018dual use\u2019 of space assets and data. Outer space technologies have been historically developed by, or in collaboration with, militaries. Technologies such as earth observation and GPS had not always been commercial and publicly available. Commercialisation of such technologies gave rise to questions on how states can establish regulatory oversight of such critical data. As commercial actors engage in these activities, they develop their own technologies. This gives rise to questions relating to patents, licences, and intellectual property (IP). Features such as location tracking raise questions on privacy. Just like any critical technology and infrastructure, cybersecurity in space is a pertinent subject and a key consideration for states and actors in outer space. Cyberattacks targeting space assets or space-based data can have serious consequences. Last but not least, increased commercial activity in outer space means more launches and more space-based assets in outer space \u2013 which ultimately means more space debris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are all critical legal and policy questions. Overall, increased participation by commercial entities has generated an unprecedented wave of rule-making and regulation both internationally and nationally. Luxembourg is a prime example with its Law on Space Resources of 2017 and Law on Space Activities in 2020. That is why we believe this shift from state to private has many consequences for the future of outer space, and that\u2019s why we decided to organise this conference.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThe event<\/h2>\n\n\n\n