Space Conference 11st April 2018
On 11 April 2018, the Space Conference took place from 11:00 a.m. in the Map Gallery of the University of Salzburg. Under the title ‘21st Century Challenges in Space’, four experts from politics, practice and science presented selected chapters of space law, with Professor Dr Kirsten Schmalenbach opening the conference on behalf of the Institute of International Law. In her welcoming address, she paid particular attention to the historical maps from the 16th century, which, as a symbol of the human urge to explore and discover, provided an extremely fitting backdrop for the Space Conference.
The first speaker, Margit Mischkulnig (Ministerial Counsellor at the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology), presented the cornerstones of Austrian space policy. In particular, the funding and research programmes in which the Republic of Austria is involved with financial and technical resources were discussed. Ms Mischkulnig also focused on the official authorisation of space activities in accordance with the Austrian Space Act (Federal Law Gazette I No. 132/2011) and the requirements for this – also in comparison to the legal situation in other countries.
Dr Marco Ferrazzani (Legal Counsel and Head of the Legal Department of the European Space Agency ESA) then gave interesting insights into the structures and (legal) practice of the ESA. In his presentation and the audience discussion, he not only presented various synergy models for enabling joint space travel (cooperation, integration), but also ventured a look into the future of European space research and industry, including ESA.
In his presentation, Alexander Soucek (ESA Legal Department) covered a wide range of topics and presented the variety of legal issues that accompany a space programme from its initiation to the end of the mission. He succeeded in drawing attention to the legal complexity of the environment in which the ESA and its member states operate. As Mr Soucek himself studied law at the University of Salzburg, it was a particular pleasure for the conference organisers to have him as a speaker.
The conference programme was rounded off with a scientific presentation by Associate Professor Dr Irmgard Marboe (University of Vienna, member of the Austrian delegation to the UN Space Committee) on a very topical subject: the development of resources in outer space. In the lecture and discussion, legal limits and uncertainties in the handling of space resources by state and private actors were discussed. To illustrate the problem, Associate Professor Marboe drew particular attention to diverging lines of development in national space laws.
The team of the Institute of International Law at the University of Salzburg would like to thank all speakers for their willingness to share their expertise and answer questions from the audience at the Space Conference.
Photos: © Julia Pleiel
