As much as I hate to admit it, if humans are going to establish any sort of long-term presence in space, we’re going to need lawyers. The University of Sunderland, based in the UK, is leading the charge with a “module” that will explore “space law” – unique legal questions that have arisen and will become more common as space tourism increases in popularity and investors begin to explore the potential for commercial ventures beyond Earth’s orbit:
“It is a fascinating topic, which many students will benefit from studying,” said Viv Kinnaird, dean of the faculty of business and law.
Topics already arising in the field include gaps in health and safety for potential space tourists, and damage to satellites from other objects orbiting the Earth. Looking further ahead, some lawyers have raised questions about land titles on the moon or other planets.
Chris Newman, one of the lecturers who will be teaching the module, said: “It is a growing area which has relevance across commercial, company, property, environmental, intellectual property and IT practice sectors. We think that our qualification will offer valuable knowledge in a fascinating area.”
Several universities around the world offer programs in air and space law, although from the looks of it, “space lawyers” are still fairly rare.
Interesting topic, as there is so much of space law that will be made up as things go along.