The 2022 edition of the European Centre for Space Law (ECSL) Summer Course on Space Law and Policy convened in Lisbon, Portugal, from 22 August to 2 September at the Nova School of Law. Marking its 30th iteration, the program brought together 52 participants—45 students and seven young professionals—from over 20 nationalities. Six tutors supported the ECSL Executive Secretariat in managing the intensive schedule. The event was organised in collaboration with Nova School of Law, with local partners including the Space Law Research Centre (SPARC), the Portuguese Space Agency (Portugal Space), the Portuguese National Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications (ANACOM), and law firm Vieira de Almeida & Associados (VdA).
Over two weeks, attendees absorbed 50 lectures delivered by 37 lecturers from across the globe. The curriculum spanned core principles of international space law, national legislative frameworks, and the operational realities of space activities. The Atlantic-facing setting of Lisbon provided a fitting backdrop for sessions on maritime safety and the role of space-based technologies in sea traffic management.
The opening days introduced participants to the primary sources of international space law and the foundations of national regulation. Portugal Space hosted a traditional dinner on the first evening, fostering early networking. On the second day, VdA welcomed the group for an afternoon dedicated to recent Portuguese and Spanish developments in space law, featuring legal practitioners, industry leaders, government officials, and academics discussing the interplay between national frameworks and cross-border cooperation.
Midweek, the focus shifted to the technical and legal aspects of launch activities and mission insurance. Participants were then assigned to small groups for the central group project: a simulation of a United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) session debating a draft resolution on space resource utilisation. Each group represented a specific country, requiring both legal analysis and diplomatic negotiation skills. A scavenger hunt through Lisbon added a team-building dimension.
Thursday’s program took participants to the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) headquarters, where legal briefings preceded technical demonstrations of earth observation systems in maritime monitoring. The visit included a view of EMSA’s maritime control room in operation. The week concluded with lectures on telecommunications law, cybersecurity, and personal data protection—topics of growing importance as satellite networks expand.
An optional weekend excursion to the historic town of Sintra provided cultural context before the second week began. Monday’s sessions examined the European Space Agency’s legal framework, export control regimes, and the global space economy, culminating in a panel on strategies for aligning the interests of governmental, regional, and private stakeholders. Tuesday featured career-focused talks from representatives of international organisations, academia, and former ESA Young Graduate Trainees in the Legal Services Department. The ECSL student representative for 2022–2023 was also elected. Wednesday addressed emerging challenges, including space debris mitigation, space resource exploitation, and sustainability in orbital operations.
The final phase centered on the Model UN COPUOS simulation. Judges included Jenni Tapio, Chief Specialist at Finland’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and delegate to the UN COPUOS Legal and Scientific Subcommittee; Professor Sergio Marchisio, former Chair of the UN COPUOS Legal Subcommittee; and Michael Newman, Legal Officer at the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs. In addition to delivering lectures on international space cooperation, they fielded participant questions informed by diverse professional backgrounds. On the concluding Friday, 14 country delegations debated the draft resolution in a chaired session. Awards recognized standout contributions: Best Position Paper went to the India delegation (Iris Stavroula Iordanidou, Melanie Ruiz Catala, Alejandra Martinez Perea), Best Team to China (Filip Kocián, Guilherme Almeida, Scott Scoular, Tomas de Brito Paulo), and Best Oralist to Eilika Gauhl. Honourable mentions were given to Delphine Urbah, Matilde Silva, and Alexandra Schulz, with a lighthearted “Best Meme” award to Dylan Breyne.