Experts discuss the topic of “Space and Aerospace – new frontiers and legal perspectives” during a high-profile two-day event organised by the Air Operations Command based in Poggio Renatico
It Air and Space Operations Command (COA) of Poggio Renatico, in collaboration with academia and with the support of that industrial, organised, on the 25th and 26th of May last, a two-day event focused on the legal aspects of the new domain, Space and Aerospace.
The event, organised by the COA Legal Affairs Office in collaboration with the University of Ferrara (Department of Law) and the University of Magna Graecia of Catanzaro (Research Centre for Private Law Relations of the Public Administration), it developed across three in-depth sessions: “Sources, actors and objects of Aerospace Law”, “Peaceful uses of space” and “Military use of space” and set itself the objective of exploring the legal challenges underlying the ever-increasing importance assumed by the outer space, including in the “dual” sector.
The proceedings were opened by a video message from the Chief of the Air Force Staff, General Luca Goretti, who pointed out that “among all the domains in which defence operates, the space and aerospace domains are in constant expansion, destined to acquire a decisive role in the management of competition, including military competition, between states. The Italian Air Force – added the Chief of Staff of the Air Force – Con the evolution of technology, is called upon to develop and update doctrines, systems and regulations to protect a much larger volume of airspace“.
In addition to speakers from many prestigious Italian universities, military experts and representatives from the defence industry also took the floor, a tangible sign of a path that is now clearly mapped out. By adopting a “systemic” approach, the country will be able not only to maintain its excellent capabilities in the sector, but also to prepare itself ever more effectively to tackle the challenges facing the space and aerospace sectors from the delicate perspective of the law.
Extremely varied are the topics covered: from space debris management to the exploitation of space resources, from sub-orbital tourism to the role of the Centre Space Situational Awareness of the COA. A connection was also made with Col. Walter Villadei, an Italian Air Force cosmonaut currently in Houston, where he is engaged in a collaboration with the American company Axiom Space. Colonel Villadei pointed out that the development of new space infrastructure, such as the new commercial space station that will be built Axiom Space, will require us to address space security issues, including those relating to the increase in debris. The proceedings were brought to a close on the afternoon of 26 May by the Commander of the Air Force Command, General S.A. Alberto Biavati, who highlighted the event’s great scientific significance and its outstanding success: “Cooperation between study, research and operational capability has often been the cornerstone of the greatest challenges society has faced.” The proceedings were concluded on the afternoon of 26 May by the Commander of the Air Squad Command, General S.A. Alberto Biavati, which expressed the great scientific value and the outstanding success of the event: “The cooperation between study, research and operational capability It has often been the linchpin of the greatest challenges society has faced“.
In the words of Head of the Department of Law at the University of Este, Professor Serena Forlati, among the issues touched upon in the Round Table, “it will be particularly interesting to see how this overall transformation should be viewed within the context of contemporary international law, which no longer concerns itself solely with relations between States, but also with relations between them and private actors drawn to the exploitation of the resources that space offers“.
It General D.A. Claudio Gabellini, Commander of the Aerospace Operations Command, on the sidelines of the event hosted by the Ferrara air base, highlighted how it is increasingly clear that “the technological and operational challenge The post office for Space and Aerospace needs to be supported by a solid legal framework“In fact, opportunities for study and discussion are particularly valuable tools.
Space and aerospace are the subject of natural interest for Defence. Italian Air Force, in particular, can play a fundamental role thanks to the marked technological capabilities and to training of one's own staff dedicated, increasingly made available to the community not only at a national level but also within international consortia.
