Australia and New Zealand Space Law Conference 2022

The urgency of space law and policy development has never been greater. By the end of this decade there may be as many as 100,000 satellites vying for Earth and lunar orbits, as well as access to frequency to operate those satellites, but without effective space traffic management, the services they provide are threatened by potential collisions among themselves, as well as with a growing ‘cloud’ of space debris. Military activities in outer space have assumed greater importance than has ever been the case. Military, strategic, political and civil society leaders across a range of nations recognise the need for a stronger normative framework. Climate change, impending scarcity of some resources and the need for sustainability in all our activities has intensified the imperative to better understand our planet specifically, plus planetary science and our place in the universe generally. Furthermore, an increasingly fractious global society needs the transparency, awareness and communications that space-based infrastructure is especially well-adapted to provide. These are issues for everyone throughout our communities in all nations.

 

For New Zealand and Australia, as relatively recently re-energised participants in the global space community, it is essential to convene a conference specifically focussed on space law and policy issues, open to a broad range of participants, and to do so soon and regularly thereafter.

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All conferences are intended to cover the spectrum of space activities, encompassing commercial, military, government and research sectors, although there will be a different theme each year. In 2022, we intend to focus on integration of legal and policy issues with operational and technical aspects.

 

We look forward to you joining us in 2022.