Frans G. von der Dunk

Prof. Dr. Frans G. von der Dunk is the Harvey and Susan Perlman Alumni / Othmer Professor of Space Law at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s LL.M. Programme on Space and Telecommunication Law (for more information on the programme: see http://law.unl.edu/spacelaw). He also is Director of Black Holes BV, Consultancy in space law and policy, based in Leiden (for more information: see http://www.black-holes.eu). Previously, he was Co-Director, then Director of Space Law Research at the International Institute of Air and Space Law at Leiden University since 1990.

Prof. Von der Dunk was awarded the Distinguished Service Award of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL) of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) in Vancouver, in October 2004, and the Social Science Award of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) in Valencia, in October 2006.

He defended his dissertation on “Private Enterprise and Public Interest in the European ‘Spacescape’” in 1998. He has written over 120 articles and published papers, has given some 120 presentations at international meetings and was visiting professor at some 25different universities across the world on subjects of international and national space law and policy, international air law and public international law. He has (co-)organised some 20 international symposia, workshops and other events, and has been (co-)editor of a number of publications and proceedings. As of 2006, he is the Series Editor of ‘Studies in Space Law’, published by Brill. Finally, he has given a number of interviews to the international media on issues of space law and policy.

Dr. Von der Dunk has served as adviser to the Dutch Government, several foreign Governments, the European Commission, the European Space Agency (ESA), the United Nations (UN), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Dutch National Aerospace Agency (NIVR), the German Space Agency (DLR), the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), the Association of Space Explorers (ASE) and the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), as well as various companies. Such advisory work dealt with a broad area of issues related to space activities, such as space policy, national space law, privatisation of space activities, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) (in particular Galileo), satellite communications, radio astronomy, and earth observation. Also, he has acted as the Legal Task Manager in a number of studies undertaken in particular within the context of leading European Commission projects, such as on European space policy, Galileo and GNSS, satellite communications, the Global Monitoring for the Environment and Security (GMES) project and earth observation. Much of his recent work furthermore focused on such topical issues as space tourism, the legal status of the Moon and other celestial bodies and the ‘sale-of- lunar-estate hoax’, and planetary protection.

He is Director Pubic Relations of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL), Member of the Board of the European Centre for Space Law (ECSL), and Member for the Netherlands in the International Law Association’s (ILA) Committee on Space Law. He is also Member of the Editorial Board of ‘Space Policy’. Further memberships include: International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), International Bar Association’s (IBA) Section on Business Law (SBL), Committee Z on Outer Space Law, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA; Senior Member), and Centro de Investigacion y DifusionAeronautico-Espacial (CIDA-E; Corresponding Member).