The IAC 2025 will take place in Sydney, Australia from 29 September to 3 October 2025. The call for papers is open until 28 February. The IISL Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space (Technical Session E7) invites papers for the following sessions:
- Young Scholars Session with Keynote Lecture (E7.1)
This session is open for abstracts and papers from space lawyers under 35 years old. It welcomes contributions on any topic related to space law. It also features a regular, annual keynote presentation by a high-level expert and diplomat in the field of international space law.
- Threat and Use of Force in the Context of Space Activities (E7.2)
Despite the desire to contribute to the use of outer space for peaceful purposes proclaimed by the Preamble of the Outer Space Treaty, Earth orbits are only partly demilitarized and can be used for defense purposes. This session analyses legal aspects of the threat and use of force in the context of space activities involving rendezvous and proximity operations. It focuses on the growing tendency to build up counterspace capabilities and discusses the legal consequences of ASAT-tests is space, especially in view of the due regard principle of the Outer Space Treaty. The session also addresses the use of large constellations in armed conflicts.
- Sustainability and Outer Space Law (E7.3)
In the wake of the suggestion to add outer space as an 18th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) and in the context of the UN Summit of the Future 2024, this session considers practical aspects relating to the sustainability of space activities and their impact on the planning and implementation of space activities. This could include life cycle assessment of space missions, launch related environmental impact assessments, or other sustainability-related aspects of space activity planning and implementation. The session aims to provide a timely overview of how sustainability of space activities can be implemented at a practical level.
- Small Satellites, Public and Private Law Perspectives (E7.4)
The exponential practice of using small satellites requires a fresh view on the present legal framework. The session discusses the implications of Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty on the authorization and supervision of small satellites on the basis of the domestic licensing procedures. It elaborates on the legal framework of launching services, including questions of insurance and other commercial aspects. It sheds light on the regulatory procedures of the ITU designed for small satellites, and their implementation in the domestic practice.
- Legal Impact of Scientific Investigation on the Protection of Intellectual Property (E7.5)
Research in extra-terrestrial space, including in the areas of space resources and long-term human habitation, is being increasingly carried out by private entities operating under international cooperation schemes. Given the importance of intellectual property for these activities, the concept of territoriality and jurisdiction in IP law allows the extension of jurisdiction under national (regional) law to those objects which the respective country has registered and launched into outer space; registered space objects are treated as quasi-territorial for the purposes of intellectual property. The IP framework is equally relevant to scientific and technological advancement. In the absence of explicit international rules, several international cooperations agreements have been concluded for such space projects. This session invites papers that aim to analyse these agreements, to study the interrelation between the protection of intellectual property and the principles of the common interest and non-appropriation of outer space as formulated by the Outer Space Treaty.
- Climate Change of the Earth Reflected in Space Law (E7.7)
The climate change of the Earth requires measures which are based on a precise knowledge of the meteorological conditions and the situation on the spot. The methods of Earth observation are extensively applied for this purpose: a whole branch of commerce has developed in this area. To react properly to the consequences of the climate change, national, regional and international networks for disaster management were established. The session discusses the legal aspects of these downstream activities: it offers insider views into the legal set-up of meteorological observation and follows the development of the legal framework of remote sensing. Moreover, the legal set-up of the disaster management is analyzed, including the provision of urgent remote services.
- Interactive Presentations (E7.IP)
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 39th IAA/IISL Scientific Legal Roundtable is dedicated to ‘Lunar Operations and Orbital Management: Governance in Cislunar Space’ (E7.6/E3.5). Recent lunar landings on both the near and far sides of the Moon along with orbital missions in cislunar space by governmental and commercial entities all point to an accelerating effort to explore and establish a long-term human presence on and near our celestial neighbor. The diversity of governmental and commercial entities engaged in the lunar effort indicates that the numerical dominance of commercial satellite systems in Earth orbit is about to be replicated in cislunar realms with growing concerns over what constitutes “best practices” to ensure sustainable lunar operations and regulatory regime. At the June 2024 UNOOSA Conference on Sustainable Lunar Activities, the parties to the U.S.-led Artemis Accords and the International Lunar Research Station agreement between Russia and China discussed how frequency and time management, safety zones, lunar orbit traffic management, and protection of historical and sensitive scientific sites require regulatory mechanisms developed for the specific needs and conditions of the lunar realm. The IAC 2025 IAA-IISL Roundtable will seek to continue that dialogue by engaging roundtable panelists and audience in a wide-ranging discussion of the scientific-technological and legal-regulatory issues arising from the growing number and intensity of governmental and commercial exploration missions to cislunar space. Only invited papers are presented during this session. Please do not submit abstracts as these will be rejected.
You can find here the Note for IISL members wishing to submit a paper for IAC Sydney by IPC members Lesley-Jane Smith and Catherine Doldirina. IISL would like to remind its members that the submission of more than one abstract for the IISL Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space is not encouraged.
