Michelle Hanlon

Last updated
Michelle Hanlon
Michelle Hanlon.jpg
Born
Michelle Lea Desyin Slawecki
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater
OrganizationFor All Moonkind
Known forSpace law expert and advocate for the protection of heritage in outer space
Website www.forallmoonkind.org

Michelle Lea Desyin Slawecki Hanlon (born August 8, 1965) is an American space lawyer and space law professor. [1] She is the co-founder, president and chief executive officer of For All Moonkind, and Executive Director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

In July 2017, Hanlon co-founded For All Moonkind with Tim Hanlon. It is a nonprofit organization protecting human cultural heritage in outer space. [6] [7] [8] The organization is a permanent observer to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. [9]  It advocates internationally, including with the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, for the development of protocols to identify and protect human history in space. [10] [11] [3] [12] [13]

Hanlon serves on the advisory board of several start-ups involved in commercial space activities, including orbital debris removal, remote sensing, and the support of lunar resource extraction. [14] [15] In 2021, Hanlon joined the Advisory Council of The Hague Institute for Global Justice Off-World Approach, created to serve as a platform "where leading experts in space enterprise can work to develop a rule of law in space that is flexible, inclusive, and permissive for the next generation of space adventurers to excel." [16]

In March 2023, Hanlon announced at the meeting of the Legal Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, the formation of the Institute on Space Law and Ethics a "new nonprofit organization will go beyond advocating for protecting off-world heritage sites and contemplate the ethics around some activities in space that are not fully covered in existing international law." [17] While Space ethics is a discipline that discusses the moral the ethical implications of space exploration the Institute on Space Law and Ethics will look to address current issues in space exploration.

Hanlon is the editor-in-chief of each of the Journal of Space Law and the Journal of Drone Law and Policy. [9] She serves as the Executive Director of the Master of Laws program in the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law. [18]

Education

Hanlon completed high school in 1983 at the Kent School, Kent, Connecticut. In 1987, Hanlon received a B.A. in political science at Yale College. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1992. [19]

Later in 2017, she studied air and space law at McGill University and graduated from the McGill University Faculty of Law with a Master of Laws degree in air and space law. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apollo 11</span> First crewed Moon landing (1969)

Apollo 11 was a spaceflight conducted by the United States from July 16 to July 24, 1969. It marked the first time in history that humans landed on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, and Armstrong became the first person to step onto the Moon's surface six hours and 39 minutes later, on July 21 at 02:56 UTC. Aldrin joined him 19 minutes later, and they spent about two and a quarter hours together exploring the site they had named Tranquility Base upon landing. Armstrong and Aldrin collected 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg) of lunar material to bring back to Earth as pilot Michael Collins flew the Command Module Columbia in lunar orbit, and were on the Moon's surface for 21 hours, 36 minutes before lifting off to rejoin Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outer Space Treaty</span> Basis of international space law

The Outer Space Treaty, formally the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, is a multilateral treaty that forms the basis of international space law. Negotiated and drafted under the auspices of the United Nations, it was opened for signature in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union on 27 January 1967, entering into force on 10 October 1967. As of March 2024, 115 countries are parties to the treaty—including all major spacefaring nations—and another 22 are signatories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space law</span> Area of national and international law governing activities in outer space

Space law is the body of law governing space-related activities, encompassing both international and domestic agreements, rules, and principles. Parameters of space law include space exploration, liability for damage, weapons use, rescue efforts, environmental preservation, information sharing, new technologies, and ethics. Other fields of law, such as administrative law, intellectual property law, arms control law, insurance law, environmental law, criminal law, and commercial law, are also integrated within space law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colonization of the Moon</span> Settlement on the Moon

Colonization of the Moon is a process or concept employed by some proposals for robotic or human exploitation and settlement endeavours on the Moon. Often used as a synonym for its more specific element of settling the Moon, lunar or space colonization as a whole has become contested for perpetuating colonialism and its exploitive logic in space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apollo (crater)</span> Crater on the Moon

Apollo, also called the Apollo basin, is an enormous impact crater located in the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. This formation dwarfs the large crater Oppenheimer that is located next to the western rim. The crater Barringer lies across the northern wall. To the southeast is the crater Anders, and Kleymenov is just to the east of the rim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tranquility Base</span> Landing site of Apollo 11 on the Moon

Tranquility Base is the site on the Moon where, in July 1969, humans landed and walked on a celestial body other than Earth for the first time. On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 crewmembers Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed their Apollo Lunar Module Eagle at approximately 20:17:40 UTC. Armstrong exited the spacecraft six hours and 39 minutes after touchdown, followed 19 minutes later by Aldrin. The astronauts spent two hours and 31 minutes examining and photographing the lunar surface, setting up several scientific experiment packages, and collecting 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg) of dirt and rock samples for return to Earth. They lifted off the surface on July 21 at 17:54 UTC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asteroid mining</span> Exploitation of raw materials from asteroids

Asteroid mining is the hypothetical extraction of materials from asteroids and other minor planets, including near-Earth objects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lunar Receiving Laboratory</span>

The Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL) was a facility at NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center that was constructed to quarantine astronauts and material brought back from the Moon during the Apollo program to reduce the risk of back-contamination. After recovery at sea, crews from Apollo 11, Apollo 12, and Apollo 14 walked from their helicopter to the Mobile Quarantine Facility on the deck of an aircraft carrier and were brought to the LRL for quarantine. Samples of rock and regolith that the astronauts collected and brought back were flown directly to the LRL and initially analyzed in glovebox vacuum chambers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of space exploration</span> Overview of and topical guide to space exploration

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to space exploration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moonbase</span> Long-term human settlement on the Moon

A moonbase is a human outpost on or below the surface of the Moon. More than a mere site of activity or temporary camp, moonbases are extraterrestrial bases, supporting robotic or human activity, by providing surface infrastructure. As of 2024 missions to the Moon have realized single-mission bases,, as well as some small permanent installations.

Space-based economy is economic activity in outer space, including asteroid mining, space manufacturing, space trade, construction performed in space such as the building of space stations, space burial, and space advertising.

The Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law has been the premier U.S. platform for Air and Space Law since 1965. It is the only American Bar Association accredited law school to offer an LL.M., a JD Concentration and a Graduate Certificate in Air and Space Law. The core of the space law program was built by Stephen Gorove, one of the earliest jurists to focus on legal aspects of space exploration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of outer space</span> Political considerations of space policy

The politics of outer space includes space treaties, law in space, international cooperation and conflict in space exploration, international economics, and the hypothetical political impact of any contact with extraterrestrial intelligence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space archaeology</span> Study of human-made items found in space

In archaeology, space archaeology is the research-based study of various human-made items found in space, their interpretation as clues to the adventures humanity has experienced in space, and their preservation as cultural heritage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space policy of the United States</span>

The space policy of the United States includes both the making of space policy through the legislative process, and the implementation of that policy in the United States' civilian and military space programs through regulatory agencies. The early history of United States space policy is linked to the US–Soviet Space Race of the 1960s, which gave way to the Space Shuttle program. At the moment, the US space policy is aimed at the exploration of the Moon and the subsequent colonization of Mars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism on the Moon</span> Future plans to make the Moon available for tourism

Lunar tourism may be possible in the future if trips to the Moon are made available to a private audience. Some space tourism startup companies are planning to offer tourism on or around the Moon, and estimate this to be possible sometime between 2023 and 2043.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">For All Moonkind</span> UN volunteer organisation

For All Moonkind, Inc. is a volunteer international nonprofit organization which is working with the United Nations and the international community to manage the preservation of history and human heritage in outer space. The organization believes that the lunar landing sites and items from space missions are of great value to the public and is pushing the United Nations to create rules that will protect lunar items and secure heritage sites on the Moon and other celestial bodies. Protection is necessary as many nations and companies are planning on returning to the Moon, and it is not difficult to imagine the damage an autonomous vehicle or an errant astronaut—an explorer, colonist or tourist—could to one of the Moon landing sites, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lunar resources</span> In situ resources on the Moon

The Moon bears substantial natural resources which could be exploited in the future. Potential lunar resources may encompass processable materials such as volatiles and minerals, along with geologic structures such as lava tubes that, together, might enable lunar habitation. The use of resources on the Moon may provide a means of reducing the cost and risk of lunar exploration and beyond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artemis Accords</span> Multilateral agreement on human moon exploration

The Artemis Accords is a series of non-binding multilateral arrangements between the United States government and other world governments that elaborates on the norms expected to be followed in outer space. The accords are related to the Artemis program, an American-led effort to return humans to the Moon by 2026, with the ultimate goal of expanding space exploration to Mars and beyond.

References

  1. Garst, Aron (2020-03-10). "How Star Trek's Prime Directive is influencing real-time space law". SYFY WIRE. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  2. 1 2 Staff Report (2018-09-10). "Flying Cars to Asteroid Mining: UM Prepares for Future Legal Issues". Ole Miss News. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  3. 1 2 Drake, Nadia (2019-07-11). "Should Neil Armstrong's Bootprints Be on the Moon Forever?". The New York Times. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  4. "How Do You Preserve History On The Moon?". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  5. David, Leonard (2019-06-04). "Space Act Calls for Protection of Apollo 11 Landing Site". Space.com. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  6. "Historic preservation taken out of this world: Oxford couple founds 'For All Moonkind' to push for protection of moon landing sites, human objects in space". The Dispatch. 2019-07-19. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  7. "Inside the Fight to Save the Moon's Historic Sites". Time. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  8. David, Leonard. "NASA Proposes New Rules for Moon-Focused Space Race". Scientific American. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  9. 1 2 "President Signs Law Protecting Lunar Heritage Sites" . Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  10. Kovach, John (2019-07-09). "New Canaan group works to save Apollo sites". New Canaan Advertiser. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  11. Wall, Mike. "New Group Works to Preserve Apollo Lunar Landing Sites". Scientific American. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  12. "Legal questions linger as governments and companies keep pushing into space". Engadget. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  13. "The Space Review: In the new spectrum of space law, will Biden favor the Moon Treaty?". www.thespacereview.com. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  14. Sheldon, John (2020-04-22). "#SpaceWatchGL Perspective On US Space Resources Executive Order: Michelle Hanlon On How The Moon Agreement Is Finished". SpaceWatch.Global. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  15. Feldscher, Jacqueline. "How a park on the moon could lead to more consensus on space exploration". POLITICO. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  16. Smith, Marsha (2021-10-20). "Hague Institute's "Off-World Approach" Seeks Inclusive, Equitable Space Future". SpacePolicyOnline.com. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  17. "Lunar laws Could Protect the Moon from Humanity". 10 April 2023.
  18. "Lunar Laws Could Protect the Moon from Humanity". 10 April 2023.
  19. "Michelle Hanlon | School of Law | Ole Miss".

Further reading

  1. Michelle L.D. Hanlon, 2021, Due Regard and Safety Zones: Understanding the Commercial Implications of Recent Policy and Legislation, NASA
  2. Michelle L.D. Hanlon, 2020, The Artemis Accords: What Are They and Will They Work?, NASA
  3. Michelle L.D. Hanlon, 2020, Is Section 9 The Most Important Part of The Artemis Accords?, Moon Village Association
  4. H. Alshamsi, R. Balleste, M.L.D. Hanlon, 2018, As the Grapefruit Turns Sixty, It's Time to Get Serious about Clean up in Outer Space, J. Air L. & Com. 83, 45
  5. Michelle L.D. Hanlon, 2021, “Due Regard” for Commercial Space Must Start with Historic Preservation , 9 Global Bus. L. Rev. 130
  6. M.L.D. Hanlon & B. Cunningham, 2019, The Legal Imperative to Mitigate the Plume Effect: An “Aggravation and Frustration” that Imperils our History and our Future, Journal of Space Law, Volume 43, number 2
  7. Michelle L.D. Hanlon, 2019, Adapting the ISS Code of Conduct to Form the Foundation of Astrolaw, San Diego International Law Journal, Volume 21
  8. Michelle L.D. Hanlon, 2017, Sexual Hostility a Mile High, Hastings Women's Law Journal, Volume 28, number 2
  9. Michelle L.D. Hanlon, 2018, Here a Spaceport, There a Spaceport, Everywhere a Spaceport, Journal of Space Law, Volume 42