Prof. Lesley Jane Smith, graduate of Edinburgh University and solicitor, is partner and legal advisor in Weber-Steinhaus & Smith, Bremen and Professor of Law at Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Lower Saxony.
Lesley Jane is an expert in the field of national regional and international space law and policy, collaborating with its stakeholders at industrial and agency level. With long-standing experience as legal advisor within the European space programmes, largely relating to industrial contracts and procurement, she contributes to the regulatory dialogue on commercial aspects of space operations.
She also contributes to research studies relating to issues such as debris-related risk and space traffic management. Currently, Alternate Ombudsman to EUMETSAT and former Alternate Ombudsman to the European Space Agency, ESA and Honorary General Counsel of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), Paris, Lesley Jane is Vice President of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL), a full member of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), an international Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE int), and has dual British German nationality.”
Research stay: 19 – 28 May 2025