Broadcast 1138 (Special Edition)

Guest: Dr. Frans G. von der Dunk. Topics: space & telecom law programs, space tourism, NEO's, ITAR, space debris. First, I apologize for my rough and raspy voice as I am still recovering my cold, coughing, and virus whatever. Thanks for your patience and tolerance. Our guest tonight, Dr. Frans von der Dunk, started our discussion by describing the new University of Nebraska - Lincoln LL.M Space and Telecommunication Law program (please see http://law.uni.edu/spacelaw). We talked about the students attending, their backgrounds the national versus the international mix of students, the focus of the program, and the law subjects covered. If you are a law school graduate and interested in a graduate law program, space and telecommunications law just might be your ticket. Listen to what Dr. von der Dunk says about the program and more important, the career opportunities that await graduates of the program. After discussing the law school program, we moved on to many important issues ranging from liability and space debris to space tourism. A caller asked about UNIDROIT and the Cape Town Convention dealing with space financing and more. You will want to hear this discussion. Our caller also asked about liability issues for space flight participants both in the U.S. and the likelihood that other nations will follow the U.S. model. Our guest discussed the appropriateness of the liability waivers and the legislation now in place but subject to change upon expiration of existing regs or if specific events take place. Again, you will want to hear what Dr. von der Dunk had to say on these issues and the modeling of the American regulations and policies by European nations. Later in the program we discussed liability issues for NEO mitigation and the market situation for the European GPS system, Galileo. ITAR was discussed as was international space law compliance by China, North Korea, Iran, and other nations. Our discussion did address the recent missile launch by the North Koreans. Toward the end of the show, the issue of space property rights came up and a listener asked a question about her deed she bought giving her ownership of property on the Moon. Dr. von der Dunk discussed the buying of lunar or other space property in some detail and did not believe it to be valid or legal. You can contact Dr. Frans G. von der Dunk with your questions or comments at fvonderdunk2@unl.edu. You can learn more about his space consultancy, Black Holes BV by visiting www.black-holes.eu.