The Northern Illinois University Law Review will host its 2022 Symposium on “Sustainable Development in Space Law: Ethical and Economic Considerations of Settlement in Outer Space” as a hybrid program (in person or online) on Friday, April 8 from 8:00 am until 3:00 pm Central time. Registration is $25 either way.

The symposium opens with the presentation International Law in Space delivered by featured speaker Christopher Johnson, Secure World Foundation Space Law Advisor. Mr. Johnson is also on the faculty of the International Space University and is a member of the International Institute of Space Law.

The second presentation, The Economics of Space Settlement, is delivered by Jim Plaxco, President of the Chicago Society for Space Studies (a Chapter of NSS) and the Economics SME for the National Space Society’s Space Ambassadors program.

Next on the agenda is Working in Space: The Final Frontier of Remote Work given by Alyson Decker, owner of Alyson Claire Law, a Southern California law practice that has space law as one of its specialties.

Following lunch, a presentation on Government Ethics and Space Sustainability will be given by featured speaker Adam Greenstone, NASA’s Agency Counsel for Ethics. Mr. Greenstone manages NASA’s Government Ethics program and is author of the article “Ethics And Public Integrity In Space Exploration,” published in Acta Astronautica. Mr. Greenstone also serves on the International Astronautical Federation’s Enterprise Risk Management Committee.

The symposium’s closing presentation is Galactic Accessibility: Interplanetary Human Rights Law through Crip Legal Theory delivered by AJ Link of Jus Ad Astra, where he works as research director for the Jus Ad Astra project. Mr. Link is President and Executive Director of the National Disabled Law Students Association, which he co-founded.

The symposium concludes with a panel discussion and a question and answer session.

With the rise of commercial activity in space and with the anticipation of significant future growth associated with space tourism (both suborbital and orbital), commercial space stations, satellite servicing, and large LEO satellite constellations, there is a clear need for corresponding advances in space law.

Legal and regulatory stability and clarity are crucial components to the successful development of a space-based economy, particularly where liability is concerned. Also important are the international aspects of the legal regime and reconciling the various national laws with the international regime to insure legal consistency and clarity.

More information and registration.