Professor Frans von der Dunk

Frans von der Dunk, Ph.D. is Professor of Space Law at the University of Nebraska, College of Law, Director at Black Holes BV, Director (Public Relations) & Treasurer at International Institute of Space Law, and Member of the Board at European Centre for Space Law. He is also Honorary Professor, Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar, India.
 
For projects concerning outer space activities or their applications here down on Earth often far too little attention — or even none at all — is paid at the outset to outlining and analyzing the applicable legal, regulatory, institutional, policy, and political framework. Such omissions then turn out to work like black holes, sucking up unnecessary hours, efforts, and resources, but these black holes can be avoided by timely professional advice and tailor-made tutorials, connecting the legal parameters and ramifications in a no-nonsense manner to the broader policy, political, economic, commercial, operational, and technical aspects of any space activity or application. This, precisely, is the mission of Black Holes BV.
 
His experience includes:

• Adviser to Dutch Government, several foreign Governments, European Commission, European Space Agency, UN, OECD, Dutch National Aerospace Agency, German Space Agency, Brazilian Space Agency, and Centre for Strategic and International Studies, as well as various companies, on a number of issues related to space activities (space policy, national space law, privatization of space activities, GNSS and Galileo, satellite communications, radio astronomy, earth observation)
• 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, GNSS, satellite communications, GMES and earth observation

Frans authored Passing the Buck to Rogers: International Liability Issues in Private Spaceflight, Sovereignty versus Space? Public Law and Private Launch in the Asian Context, Space debris and the law, Space for celestial symphonies? Towards the establishment of international radio quiet zones, Towards one captain on the European spaceship — why the EU should join ESA, Loopholes in Liability? Aspects of liability for damage sustained in the course of satellite telecommunications activities, and The role of law with respect to future space activities, and coauthored Bringing Space Law into the Commercial World: Property Rights without Sovereignty.
 
Frans earned his Doctorate in Space Law from the Universiteit Leiden, The Netherlands in 1998. His thesis was "Private Enterprise and Public Interest in the European 'Spacescape': Towards Harmonized National Space Legislation for Private Space Activities in Europe".
 
Watch 2006 IAC: Regulatory Challenges to the Utilization of Space. Read Nebraska Gets Von Der Dunk and Action Urged on Asteroids.