In a remarkable achievement, Nina Russell, a dedicated student pursuing her JD/MA degree at NPSIA, has been awarded one of the 2023 Graduate Research Awards for Disarmament, Arms Control, and Non-Proliferation from the Simons Foundation. Her research paper explores outer space activities and the need for
updated regulations to address commercial entities venturing into this frontier.
The advent of new technologies has sparked an immense interest among commercial entities to explore and operate in outer space. Entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, who dreams of colonizing Mars, and Jeff Bezos, with his space tourism ventures, have brought this topic to the forefront of global discussions. However, Nina’s paper draws attention to the existing gap in laws and regulations concerning these activities, particularly in the context of attributing responsibility to commercial actors operating in space.
Nina’s paper highlights a thought-provoking case study involving Elon Musk and SpaceX and their provision of Starlink services to Ukrainians during the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. She explores whether this action could be attributed to the United States’ involvement in the conflict, emphasizing the importance of aligning international and domestic regulations to ensure a framework that prevents rogue private corporations and billionaires from dragging states into global conflicts.
Nina’s journey into this subject began with the course International Law: Use of Force taught by Professor Chris Penny. Our program provides students with an exceptional platform to produce coursework that holds the potential for significant policy impact. As a testament to her outstanding work, Nina has been invited to present her paper during a special seminar at the headquarters of Global Affairs Canada on June 29th, 2023.
Moreover, she has been awarded a prestigious cash prize of $5,000 by the Simons Foundation. We wholeheartedly congratulate Nina on her remarkable achievement and eagerly anticipate the profound influence her ground-breaking research will have on shaping Canadian policy.