On 8 May 2026, the International Institute of Space Law with the support of the Amsterdam Space Law & Sustainability Centre and Durham University Space Research Centre (SPARC), is co-organising the Spring Space Law Symposium 2026. The Symposium will examine the extent to which the existing international legal framework governing outer space is capable of accommodating rapid technological and operational developments.
Across three online panels co-moderated by Dr PJ Blount, Dr Ioana Bratu and Dr Laetitia Cesari, the symposium will consider how emerging technologies, evolving uses of space, and increasing environmental pressures challenge foundational principles of space law, including jurisdiction, responsibility, and international cooperation.
Programme:
📅 10:30- 12:00 Panel 1: Emerging Technologies and Implications for Space Law
– Space Governance for Suborbital Flights: Challenges and Opportunities for Developing Nations, Beauler Wozhele and Lulu Makapela
– AI in the Cosmos: Toward an Adaptive Legal Framework for Space Governance, Yangzi Tao
– Life Science beyond Earth: Exploring the Legal Landscape in Outer Space Exploration, Marie-Claire de Bruijn, Chesler THOMAS, Emily McColville, and Sireesh PALLIKONDA
– A Comparative Study of Patent Infringement in Cyberspace and in Outer Space – Beyond the Limits of Territorial Jurisdiction, Hisako Moriguchi
📅 13:00-14:30 Panel 2: Reinterpreting Established Space Law Frameworks in Contemporary Contexts
– Registration in the 21st Century: Ensuring Adequate Registration Under The Existing Legal Regime, Gina Petrovici, Martin Reynders, and Lew Töpfer
– Implementation of The Outer Space Treaty Through Blockchain-based Systems, Krisztina Tilinger, Dr.
– Recommendations on Registering Space Objects Forming Part of a Satellite Constellation, Franziska Knur and Bernhard Schmidt-Tedd
– Remove before launch: Collisions between space activities regulated under the Outer Space Treaty and the Antarctic Treaty System, Victoria Fernanda Valdivia Cerda
The risk of replacing the consensus principle in space with alternative rule setting: a comparison of space mining with deep-sea mining, Scott Scoular
📅 14:30-16:00 Panel 3: Legal Dimensions of Space Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility
– Space Sustainability as a Common Concern, Maria Elena de Maestri, Mario Barbano
– Questioning the International Legal Framework for a Responsible and Sustainable Space Tourism Activity, Caroline Thro
– Orbiting Odyssey: Analysing National and Regional Measures for Cleaning up Space Junk, Roshan Menon and Anmol Dhawan
– Addressing the Legal Gap of Responsibility of Non-State Actors for Space Pollution, Dr Matthew Gillett, Katja Grünfeld, and Iva Ramuš Cvetkovič
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.fr/e/iisl-spring-space-law-symposium-tickets-1987487786471
