The University of Mississippi School of Law solidified its position at the cutting edge of legal studies by becoming the first university in the nation to offer a Master of Laws degree in air and space law in the fall of 2013.
Nationwide, there are other schools that offer space law classes and societies, but none have offered a degree-bearing program until this year.
“There are opportunities out there and there are many emerging space law issues that need to get answers. The money is there. The infrastructure is there. Where are the laws?” Jacqueline Serrao, director of the air and space law program, told USA Today.
Air and space law is not simply confined to domestic space law; it heavily incorporates environmental and international law. Because of this, the University of Mississippi School of Law prepares law students for continued study in air and space law by requiring several classes in international and environmental disciplines.
Several nations, including the United States, are beginning to explore the possibility of mining asteroids, which brings important legal property rights issues into play.
In the outline of its asteroid-capture mission announced in August 2013, NASA plans to “grab an asteroid” so astronauts can extract iron, nickel, hydrogen, oxygen and water. NASA will be launching the spacecraft for this mission in 2016.
However, people are beginning to question if concepts like this violate laws such as the Outer Space Treaty or the Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty outlines the basic legal framework of international space law. The 1972 Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects outlines the liability of those responsible for damage on Earth caused by space objects.
Third-year law student Bailey Smith believes it’s important to define the laws governing airspace and to also implement property rights laws.
“We’ve seen the problems with trying to retroactively legislate,” she said. “We would end up with a situation very similar to how the West was settled here in America.”
-Richard Rieck
rlrieck@go.olemiss.edu
