Abstract

We are experiencing a renaissance in lunar exploration. More than 100 missions to cislunar space and the lunar surface are planned in the coming years, and we can expect to see a permanent human presence on the moon by the end of the decade. Many of these missions will be by private players, showcasing the increasing interest in lunar exploration and development not just from governments but also the private sector. To pave the way for a lunar economy, efforts are underway to develop commercial lunar transportation services, the technologies to sustain human life and economic activity on the moon through in-situ resource utilisation, and the communications and navigation infrastructure needed by lunar actors.

This webinar will address the opportunities and challenges in cislunar and lunar development, including how activities should be governed to ensure that they are peaceful, responsible, and sustainable. Issues to be discussed include the drivers for the lunar renaissance, the prospects for a viable lunar economy, legal and regulatory implications such as with respect to space resource utilisation and coordination between lunar actors to ensure the safe conduct of activities, the impact of strategic rivalry, and others.

Organised by the Future Issues and Technology Research Cluster with support from the Centre of Excellence for National Security, RSIS

About the Panellists

Tala Atie has a background of Aerospace Engineering and Physics, she joined the PwC space practice based in Paris, where she currently acts as Manager. Within the PwC Space practice, Tala has accumulated 6 years of experience in consulting for the space sector.  She gained experience in supporting European Institutions and national governments (globally) to develop and assess their space programs and she worked with emerging space nations on the development and implementation of their Space Strategy and regulatory framework. Nonetheless she was also closely involved with the private space sector, supporting space companies (large companies and start-ups) with developing their market strategies and business models in prominent new space markets especially in the domains of space exploration and LEO economy. Examples of her projects include studies for the European Space Agency and the government of Luxembourg to assess the Space Resources Utilization market and applications and support the development of their strategies for SRU. Additionally, she supported a space start-up in assessing the future market for a Lunar Economy, looking into the lunar transportation, SRU and Lunar data markets (the results of which have been published in a white paper on the PwC website) and she also supported clients in the assessment of the market for future commercial space stations.

Michelle L.D. Hanlon is Co-Director of the Air and Space Law Program at the University of Mississippi School of Law and its Center for Air and Space Law.  She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Space Law, the world’s oldest law journal dedicated to the legal problems arising out of human activities in outer space and its sister publication, the Journal of Drone Law and Policy.  Michelle is a Co-Founder and President of For All Moonkind, Inc., a nonprofit corporation that is the only organization in the world focused on protecting human cultural heritage in outer space.  In this capacity, she was instrumental in the development of the recently enacted One Small Step Act in the United States.  For All Moonkind has been recognized by the United Nations as a Permanent Observer to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and recently launched its Institute on Space Law and Ethics. Michelle received her B.A. in Political Science from Yale College and her J.D. magna cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center.  She earned her LLM in Air and Space Law from McGill University.  Prior to focusing on aviation and space law, Michelle was engaged in a private business law practice.

Garvey McIntosh is the NASA Asia Representative based at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.  He has been in this capacity for nearly six years and in this capacity, he is responsible for the coordination of NASA programs and interests in Japan and other countries in the Asia Pacific Region. He also works with regional aerospace officials on key programs and serves as point of contact for NASA related meetings and travel. Since joining NASA in the Office of International and Interagency Relations (OIIR) in 2003, Garvey has accumulated a broad range of experiences. While in OIIR, he has negotiated and completed agreements with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Singapore, and NASA’s other international partners on commercial crew, the now retired Space Shuttle, International Space Station, the Artemis program, high-energy physics and astronomy, and space education. He gained valuable experience during a detail assignment in which he served as the Executive Officer to former NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver. In this capacity, he was responsible for providing overall leadership, planning, and policy direction to NASA’s Headquarters and its 10 Field Centers. Prior to coming to NASA, Garvey studied economic policy and language in Vietnam as a Boren Fellow. He also spent 4 years in Nagasaki, Japan, where he taught English conversation and composition. Garvey received his graduate degree in International Policy Studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California, and his undergraduate degree in Communications Studies from Northeastern University in Boston.

Matija Rencelj is the Research Manager at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI). His work focuses on inter-institutional relations, and European and global policy developments, with studies undertaken on topics ranging from orbital carrying capacity to the history of commercial space. Most recently he was supporting the High-Level Advisory Group on Human and Robotic Space Exploration for Europe in their process of devising the report “Revolution Space”. He previously worked with the European Space Agency, the European Commission, in the aviation and commodities sectors, and started his career as a lawyer at a corporate law firm. He holds an LL.M. in Air & Space Law from McGill University and a Law Degree from the University of Ljubljana. At ESPI, he first served as Research Fellow for two years, before taking on the responsibility to oversee the Institute’s research output, manage day-to-day operations, and translate the Institute’s work to real-world impact.

About the Moderator

Chris Leck is currently on sabbatical leave from the Singapore Public Service, Chris Leck was last the Deputy Executive Director of Singapore’s national space office, the Office for Space Technology & Industry (OSTIn). He was recognised in the Apolitical and World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Agile Governance’s 2021 Agile 50 list, as one of the world’s 50 most influential people navigating disruption. Chris has served for more than 20 years in various capacities within the Singapore Public Service. Prior to his OSTIn role, other senior appointments he held included Deputy Group Director (Technology & Industry Development) at the Land Transport Authority, Director of the Futures & Transformation Division at the Ministry of Transport, and Director of Strategic and Political-Military Planning as well as Director of International Relations for the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa at the Ministry of Defence. He graduated from the London School of Economics with a bachelor’s degree in government & economics. He also holds master’s degrees in political science and international law from Columbia University, the Australian National University and Tel Aviv University, and attended the general management programme at INSEAD.