This book1 is a revised and updated publication of my master’s thesis, originally written to satisfy the thesis requirement of my Masters of Law program in “Air and Space Law” at the University of Mississippi School of Law. My family’s time in Oxford, Mississippi, was an extremely pleasant time of our lives—despite the onset of the covid-19 pandemic slightly over halfway through our year there. Though the lockdown accompanying the pandemic was unfortunate and, at times, extremely difficult, being forced to lockdown and stay at home did prove beneficial to focused work on this thesis! The success of this work, however, is by no means mine alone: there are a great many people to whom I owe a debt of gratitude and thanks and who have contributed immeasurably to this work.
First, I am extremely grateful to Professor Michelle Hanlon and Professor Charles Stotler, the Directors of the Center of Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law. Professor Hanlon and Professor Stotler were my advisors during my time at the Masters of Law program. Professor Stotler and Professor Hanlon assisted me with multiple draft versions of chapters and the completed thesis, and I owe much to their advice, source recommendations, and editing. This work could not have been as thoroughly researched without their help.
Second, gratitude and thanks are owed to my military superiors in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate Generals (jag) Corps. It was the jag Corps that both stimulated my interest in the field of outer space law and sent me, as a preparatory assignment for my teaching position at the United States Air Force Academy, to the ll.m. program at Ole Miss to study the topic. The encouragement I have received from the larger jag Corps, as well as my immediate superiors at the Air Force Academy, including Colonel Tara Villena, Department Head of the Department of Law, have been critical to my ability to research and write about the field of space law and to complete the revision of this book. While the Air Force has encouraged and assisted me in my research endeavors, however, it is imperative that I provide the following disclaimer: this work is a product of my own research, and the views reflected in this work are my own. Nothing in this work is, or ought to be construed as, the official
Finally, and most importantly of all, my wife, Miriam, and my children, Tzipora, Asher, and Naomi, have tirelessly supported me during the over two years I have written and developed this project. This book is dedicated to them, and I am extremely grateful for their love and support.
Major Jeremy Grunert
Colorado Springs, April 2022
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force Academy, the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
US Air Force pa#: usafa-df-2022-2.