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The European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), the European Centre for Space Law (ECSL), and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) invite students and young professionals worldwide to submit a paper on “Legal aspects around satellite constellations".

The commercialisation of products and resources in space, including from space mining, is emerging from the realm of science fiction to become seriously considered as a profitable activity. Multiple commercial initiatives are now in development, and it is only a matter of time before these activities succeed, more join in, and a stable industry starts to develop. But how will this industry be regulated? And what evolutions might occur in international law related to it? 

On May 8th, ESPI coordinator of studies Sebastien Moranta participated in the symposium on the Hague Code of Conduct organized by the Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique (FRS) and UNIDIR under the umbrella of the European Union.

The Executive Summary for the ESPI SpringerBriefs book: “Business and Policy Perspectives on Micro Launchers” is now available for download. The research provides an analysis of the dynamics of the global launch service market associated with small satellites, by placing a particular focus on its unfolding trends and future outlook.

ESPI continues its collaboration with Open Access Government with the publication of a new article on ‘Next steps to the Moon: What role for Europe?’ in the May edition of this European journal. The article, written by Sebastien Moranta, reviews developments in the preparation of the post-ISS era and discusses challenges ahead of Europe to position itself as a key partner in a potential future international Moon programme. 

Recently the United States proposed a new approach concerning the future commercial utilization of the International Space Station (ISS), with a greater involvement of private actors and leading to the eventual privatization of the station after 2024.