The commercial space services sector is a rapidly growing industry, causing major disruptions in domestic and international law. Traditional and non-traditional space faring nations alike are struggling to reconcile their national space laws (if any) with the new methodolgies, technologies, and economics being implemented by companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin, as well as dozens of smaller operators.
In addition to space launch carriers, numerous startups promise to provide unparalleled access to high resolution Earth imagery, high throughput communications via new satellite constellations, and perhaps most provocatively, asteroid mining, human settlement of Mars, and a return to the Moon. All of these efforts coexist within a legal framework decidedly unsettled and entangled.
The foundational law of space activity is the Outer Space Treaty, to which the United States is a party. For nearly a half century, most of its tenets were nothing more than subjects for academics. However, now that Earth orbit has become a very crowded place, there is constant debate by academics and industry players on what activities are sanctioned or legitimized by the Treaty. Further complicating the matter, are the gaps and inconsistencies with domestic space laws and directives.
What is more, the recent rebirth of the National Space Council, and establishment of a Space Force has lawyers, politicians, and policy experts scurrying to make the proper determinations for interactions with industry and approaches to sound law.
Gompers IP Services can provide you with the necessary legal background and insight to navigate these exciting new domains. With a decade of experience at NASA, Gompers IP Services is uniquely qualified with an uncommon pedigree of legal and scientific acumen.
Our services include FCC filings for satellite licenses, U.S. market access, petitions for declaratory rulings, orbital debris mitigation analysis/submissions, analysis of new streamlined small satellite application regulations, commentary filing, global telecommunications research and more.