Acknowledgements
This book is the result of a multi-annual process. It reflects the discussions within the Space Law Committee of the International Law Association (ila), where the legal aspects of suborbital flights were put on the agenda as early as in 2012. A first acknowledgement is therefore due to Professor Maureen Williams from the University of Buenos Aires. She was the chair of the ila Space Law Committee for many years, having remained irreplaceable for an unusually long period. After having served as the general rapporteur since 1988, she chaired the Committee from 2001 to 2020. For many years, Professor Williams was the face of the ila Space Law Committee. Her regular and high quality documents and reports, including to the
When the first suborbital flights with private participants (‘space tourism flights’) were successfully completed in July 2021 it was high time to bring this ambitious project to a successful conclusion. Yet, the Covid-19 pandemic still had its repercussions, so that only the ila Conference in 2022 and an intersessional workshop in Vienna in 2023 could lead to a final report and an ila Resolution on the topic in 2024. The duration was also due to the interdisciplinary nature of the issues raised by technical developments and applications of high-altitude operations. Not only did air and space law experts need to be involved, but also scientists and engineers working on the development and application of this rapidly changing technology.
Sincere acknowledgement is due to the 27 authors for their efforts in breaking new ground and for their patience throughout the completion of this book. The publication process started after the intersessional workshop in Vienna to which some of the authors came from long distances. A special thanks goes to the University of Vienna, the Austrian Ministry for Climate Action, the University of Cologne, and the European Space Policy Institute which contributed to the organisation of the workshop.
Within the ila Space Law Committee, Rada Popova had an instrumental role in accompanying the process as a Co-Rapporteur. Her helpful contribution is also present in this book as the author of the last chapter which summarises ‘Conclusions and Recommendations’. At the University of Vienna, Paulina Rundel and Celina Saci were instrumental in starting the publication process and organising the first rounds of feedback, as well as putting together the lists of abbreviations and sources alongside with the index.
We are very grateful for the commitment of Professor Frans von der Dunk who from the outset agreed to include this book in his long-standing and internationally highly recognised series ‘Studies in Space Law’ with Brill/Nijhoff. In addition to writing the crucial chapter on ‘liability and insurance’ he supported the publication process steadily and has always been a responsive and engaged partner for all issues arising on the way. We also thank the staff at Brill/Nijhoff for their professional support and dedication, in particular Beth Derr and Ingeborg van der Laan.
In acknowledging the multi-annual efforts of the members of the ila Space Law Committee and of the authors of this book, the editors hope that readers both from academia and practice will find useful insights into the challenging issues raised by high-altitude operations for national, regional, and international legal frameworks.
Irmgard Marboe and Stephan Hobe