“People think space law is about astronauts, tech-billionaires and planets – it’s much more tangible”

I’m absolutely fascinated by the moon – I love it. Growing up my parents always educated me to look up at the night sky. My dad would tell me about the solar system and how far away stars really are. My mum drew my attention to the moon by talking about tides and her superstitious belief that a full moon signals bad sleep.

I love how the moon holds many different cultural and spiritual meanings but it’s also so scientific. You can decide what it means to you, and I like that freedom. However, I never imagined it would influence my career.

During my law degree I felt quite lost about which direction to pursue. I’d moved from Belgium to study law at Queen Mary University of London to qualify in a language that would enable me to travel the world. I found my degree interesting and was eager to become a solicitor, but when it came to practice I had no clue what to specialise in.

It was during my year abroad at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands that I discovered air and space law. It was one of the modules you could study there. Discovering this field was like rocket fuel for my motivation. After I graduated in London, I returned to Leiden University to complete the Air and Space Law LLM. 

I'm known as ‘the space girl’ at my firm. I applied to do my training contract at HFW because of their aerospace department but I’ve kept an open mind during my training contract.

I started with a seat in shipping litigation, and also trained in commercial litigation and commodities disputes in Hong Kong. Across these different sectors, there’s the common theme of international trade. This leads to interesting overlap, where concepts can be borrowed between sectors. I believe this is relevant to space law too.

Most people think space law is about astronauts, tech-billionaires and exploring planets – it’s much more tangible than that. It’s easy to forget things like Google Maps and weather forecasts rely on satellites. Satellites can also assist with disaster management and help monitor illegal deforestation. And before that, satellites must be built and launched into orbit. Behind this there are intricate contractual relationships and responsibilities – that’s where lawyers come into play.

Space law is complex, but it presents big opportunities – the space industry is growing so fast it’s hard to keep up with. Having studied common law I was used to looking back to cases that were hundreds of years old. Here we are only looking ‘ahead’, there are basically no precedents. It's a different environment to what we're used to regulating and operating in. Much of space law is still being put together. There’s a ‘watch this space’ feeling which I find extremely exciting to follow and feel part of.

Unlike airspace which has boundaries, there’s no sovereignty in outer space – it belongs to everyone. It’s the province of all mankind – there’s no national judicial system ruling it. There’s not even consensus on where outer space starts. Activities in space are regulated by a tangled web of legal instruments which can be difficult to navigate.

I’d love to be involved in the regulation of the sustainability of the space industry. This is a considerable challenge in space right now. There's an enormous – and growing – amount of defunct human-made objects in space, principally in Earth orbit. These are called 'space debris' or 'space junk'. A piece of debris as small as a £1 coin threatens to cause crucial damage upon collision with another space object. 

I believe we should focus on keeping outer space safe. Under the current legal framework, it’s difficult to attribute responsibility, and therefore to hold actors accountable for damage or pollution. More thought should be given to debris-focused missions and to the later stages of satellites’ lives, including how to remove them from space or prolongate their life in orbit. We could also draw from the existing system of salvage at sea to address certain aspects of the orbital debris problem, for example.

Most of the leaders in space law come from different areas of the legal world. Given the stage of development of space law, there is a strong link between academia and industry. I’ve met truly inspiring figures, including my Leiden professors, who travel the world representing the legal facet of the space industry and discussing its challenges.

While few law firms have a dedicated space department, space companies often have in-house counsel. These lawyers have front row seats and understand the field like no one else. There are ‘space lawyers’ who deserve to call themselves that. I wouldn't say I'm one yet, but I hope to be one day.

Earlier this year, I spent a week studying at the Norwegian Space Agency in Oslo, Norway with the International Space University. The course covered topics from core engineering and technical concepts to the role of regulation for the future of space activities. This wasn’t for work, I attended purely to sharpen my knowledge of the industry. To be a good space lawyer, I need to have an excellent understanding of the sector, including the technical challenges involved beyond the legal implications of business activity.

There’s a wonderful feeling of community in the space industry. This year’s International Astronautical Congress in Milan was such a dynamic event. Everyone was sharing ideas and discussing projects. Because it’s a niche industry, you often come across the same people at events. It’s really empowering to be part of something with people who share a passion.

As much as I find space activities fascinating, I’m not in a rush to visit space myself. Crazy things go on out there. It’s clearly a hostile environment for humans and some aspects are pretty scary. For example, human bodies age faster in space. On the International Space Station (ISS), astronauts exercise for more than two hours a day to avoid muscle wastage. Also, the ISS has to manoeuvre increasingly often to avoid colliding with orbital debris. All in all, I would much prefer staying here.

If I could go to space without any of these risks, I’d take a trip to the moon. Last year I was in Xi’an, China on a clear evening and came across a man with an enormous telescope in the street. He let me look through, and when I saw the moon, I felt like my brain and heart exploded at the same time. It was so close and so clear, it felt like I’d touched it. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Then my eyes filled with tears so I couldn’t see a thing anymore. It was such a magical experience.

I aspire to become a reliable solicitor and be ready for when there’s more demand for space lawyers. In the meantime, I’m keen to pursue aviation law and hope to enjoy a career with lots of travel opportunities – on this planet.