Ireland ‘could become world leader in space law’

Ireland could become a world leader in space law if a legal framework is put in place to support the space sector, an Irish lawyer has said.

Laura Keogh, who works between Dublin and Munich with German firm DHL-Law, told Siliconrepublic.com that Ireland should join the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

This would allow Ireland to join the Space Assets protocol, which acts as a legal registry for private companies and their assets.

She pointed to Luxembourg as an example of a small country which had established itself as a world leader in space law.

Ireland’s first satellite, EIRSAT-1, is set to be deployed in orbit from the ISS in 2018 or 2019.

Ms Keogh said Ireland has “agreed to the and, within that, there’s an obligation to have an overview and a legal policy in place when things are going to be launched”.

However, she warned: “We don’t have that in Ireland. EIRSAT-1 is done by universities and isn’t commercial but if it was, there’s no protection for companies and no legislation in place. That is a big issue.”

Ms Keogh is Ireland’s national point of contact on the Space Generation Advisory Council, which aims to bring the views of students and young space professionals to the UN and space industry.