Professor Colleen Graffy, "Space Law: Building the Global Operating System That Allows Space Businesses to Function" -- Ventech

Professor Colleen P. Graffy presented "Space Law: Building the Global Operating System That Allows Space Businesses to Function" for the program "The Business of Space – To Infinity and Beyond." Professor Graffy was on a panel organized by Ventech along with the president of Teledyne Space Imaging and the chief operating officer of Umbra, an American space technology company specializing in remote sensing.

Professor Graffy explained that the goal of Space Law should not be to set barriers designed to say "no," but to set a foundational framework that will provide certainty, prevent conflict, and assign responsibility. The most challenging issues for business, she said, are where the law is most unsettled, creating the most uncertainty. She identified space debris and traffic ,anagement and the unanswered question of whether the Outer Space Treaty allows property rights in resources extracted from space, as critical areas to be resolved. 

The program took place in Santa Barbara on October 15.