Pursuing Change In Space Governance
Our Story and Mission
Founded as an R&D subsidiary under Prestiged Future Corp. of Ontario, Canada & London, United Kingdom our institute aims to pioneer research at the nexus of astrophysics, international space law, and insurance policy. We are dedicated to providing scientific and legal frameworks that modernise space governance and liability in response to fast-evolving orbital challenges.
- Jamar Berry
Student Researcher
The Open University LLB (Hons) student and Associate Member of the National Association of Licensed Paralegals, with intent to pursue postgraduate research at Master’s and PhD level.
Research focuses on state responsibility, private liability, and the governance of hybrid commercial–military space assets in orbital operations, alongside foundational consideration of the legal and societal frameworks surrounding humanity’s integration with extraterrestrial biological life. Career objectives centre on becoming an interdisciplinary researcher in space governance, orbital liability, dual-use infrastructure regulation, and future extraterrestrial risk governance.
Independent public-interest research of this nature requires substantial uncompensated labour, including long-form analysis, drafting, revision, policy synthesis, publication preparation, and ongoing institutional development. On average, a single research paper produced through the Institute requires approximately 80–120 working hours to complete. At a professional research and consulting rate of approximately £150 GBP per hour, the equivalent labour value behind each publication often ranges between £12,000–£18,000 GBP before operational, administrative, infrastructure, insurance, and publication costs are considered. Salary support helps ensure this work remains independently produced and publicly accessible without institutional gatekeeping or restrictive commercial paywalls.
Jamar Berry, A.NALP
Our Research Domain
State Responsibility and Private Liability for Hybrid Commercial–Military Space Assets in Orbital Operations.
What Problem Needs To Be Solved?
Modern orbital infrastructure is increasingly hybridised between commercial and military use, but international legal responsibility and liability systems remain fragmented and underdeveloped.
Specifically:
- private companies increasingly operate infrastructure used by states and defence systems.
- current treaties were designed for older state-centric space activity.
- attribution becomes legally ambiguous in dual-use orbital systems.
- insurance and liability frameworks struggle with systemic orbital risk.
01
The core of our projects
International space law
- Outer Space Treaty
- Liability Convention
- State responsibility doctrine
02
Dual-use orbital infrastructure
- Commercial satellites supporting military operations
- Hybrid orbital ecosystems
- Blurred public/private responsibility
03
Liability & insurance systems
- Catastrophic orbital risk
- Insurance allocation
- Private liability exposure
- War-risk and orbital conflict implications
04
Emerging orbital technologies
- Communications systems
- Energy systems
- Propulsion technologies
- Potentially counterspace-related implications
05
Long-term extraterrestrial governance trajectory
Governance, liability, and institutional preparedness for biologically uncertain extraterrestrial environments.
Evolved into:
- planetary protection
- contamination governance
- extraterrestrial biosecurity
- future legal frameworks for off-world systems
06
*Interdisciplinary Niche*
State Responsibility, Private Liability, and the Governance of Hybrid Commercial–Military Space Assets in Orbital Operations, with Foundational Consideration of the Legal and Societal Frameworks Governing Humanity's Integration with Extraterrestrial Biological Life.
PUBLIC DATA
What does it say?
Lets do a deep dive on some statistics below.
10,000+ Active Satellites
The orbital environment has transitioned from state-dominated infrastructure to densely populated commercial ecosystems, creating unprecedented governance and liability complexity.
130 Million+ Debris Fragments
Orbital risk is no longer theoretical. Collision exposure and cascading debris events increasingly challenge existing responsibility and insurance frameworks.
Expanding Commercial–Military Dependence
Modern strategic systems increasingly rely on privately operated orbital infrastructure, blurring distinctions between civilian and military space assets under international law.
100,000+ Projected Future Satellites
Projected mega-constellation expansion may increase orbital populations to well over 100,000 active satellites in coming decades. Existing governance, liability, and traffic coordination systems were never designed for orbital environments operating at this scale.
660+ Orbital Fragmentation Events
Hundreds of recorded explosions, collisions, and fragmentation events have already destabilised Earth orbit. Persistent debris generation increasingly transforms orbital space into a long-term governance, sustainability, and insurance challenge.
25% Increase in Trackable Debris from a Single ASAT Event
A single anti-satellite weapons test was responsible for an estimated 25% increase in the trackable orbital debris population. This demonstrates how military actions in orbit can generate systemic environmental and liability consequences affecting all orbital operators.
€14 Million+ Annual Collision Avoidance Costs
Satellite operators already spend millions annually on orbital collision monitoring and avoidance manoeuvres. These growing operational costs reflect the economic burden created by increasingly congested and legally fragmented orbital environments.
Hybrid Commercial–Military Orbital Ecosystems
Commercial satellite infrastructure is increasingly integrated into military communications, navigation, and intelligence systems. This convergence complicates attribution, liability, and state responsibility under existing international legal frameworks.
Systemic Dependence on Orbital Infrastructure
Modern economies increasingly rely on orbital systems for communications, navigation, finance, weather forecasting, logistics, and strategic coordination. As orbital dependence grows, governance failures in space create expanding terrestrial consequences.
Emerging Autonomous Orbital Technologies
Advancements in autonomous manoeuvring systems, AI-assisted satellites, and responsive orbital platforms are accelerating faster than corresponding governance and liability frameworks. These technologies introduce new attribution and accountability challenges for both public and private actors.
Expanding Planetary Protection and Extraterrestrial Governance Challenges
As public and private actors prepare for sustained extraterrestrial operations, legal systems face growing pressure to address contamination governance, biological uncertainty, and long-term responsibility frameworks beyond Earth orbit.
Absence of Comprehensive Orbital Enforcement Mechanisms
Despite increasing dependence on orbital infrastructure, there remains no fully unified international enforcement authority capable of regulating liability, traffic coordination, debris accountability, or dual-use orbital conflicts across state and private actors.