Our Advanced Master Air and Space Law (LL.M.) combines public air law, private air law and space law from a European and an international perspective.

The International Institute of Air and Space Law is one of the leading international academic research and teaching institutes in the world, specialising in legal and policy issues regarding aviation and space activities in the broadest sense of the word.

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This research studies the future perspectives for Malaysian space law. It aims at demonstrating the development of Malaysian outer space activities inclusive of her status with respect to United Nations space conventions and her membership of international and regional space-related organizations.

The International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL) offers PhD candidates the possibility to enroll in the IIASL PhD Track.

For years now, collaboration has been the operative word when it comes to successful space missions. But this can only be achieved with good agreements.

At the International Astronautical Congress in Washington DC last week, IIASL alumna Thea Dethlefsen (Denmark/Norway) won the I.H.Ph. Diederiks-Verschoor Award, given each year by the International Institute of Space Law (IISL) for the best paper by a young author.

Check out our new video for the Adv. LLM in Air and Space Law

The section Air & Space Law of the institute of Public Law of the Leiden Law School is looking for a

One of the ECSL’s most prominent activities is the ECSL Summer Course on Space Law and Policy, welcoming students at all academic levels as well as select young professionals currently active in the space or related sectors. Now in its 33rd year, the course has built a vast global network of alumni.

From 26 August until 5 September 2019, a group of 20 Chinese government officials, industry representatives and academics attended an intensive course on space law and policy at the International Institute of Air and Space Law, organized in cooperation with Avans+ in Breda.

The Univerisity of Sharjah organises a conference on February 22-23, 2017 ; Call for papers has started.

Leiden team runner-up in the European Regional Round at the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court 2016!

One of ECSL’s most successful activities is the ECSL Summer Course on Space Law and Policy, which is open to students of all levels of study, as well as a few young professionals already working in the space or space-related sectors. The course is now in its 28th year and boasts a large family of alumni…

The application window for the 26th ECSL Summer Course on Space Law and Policy is now open. The deadline for applicants to send their applications to you is 30 June 2017.

The Leiden University team representing the International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL) won the World Finals of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition that took place in Paris on 20 September 2022.

The International Astronautical Congress (IAC) that took place last week in Paris was extremely successful for IIASL.

Recent graduates of the Adv. LL.M. in Air and Space Law presented their paper titled

On 15 May the Space Law Moot Court Competition was held in the council chamber of Leiden Town Hall, organised by the International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL).

On 18 June 2019, Neta Palkovitz Menashy defended her thesis 'Regulating a Revolution: Small Satellites and the Law of Outer Space'. The doctoral research was supervised by Prof. dr. P.M.J. Mendes de Leon and Prof. dr. G. Molier.

The Leiden student team representing the International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL) won the Best Memorials Award and the second place in the European Finals of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition.

The International Institute of Air and Space Law hosted a book launch event at the Leiden Law School on March 20, 2025, featuring the launch of two important publications in the field of air and space law.

The Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court competition was held in Vienna between 8 and 12 April 2024. This event was organised by the European Centre for Space Law in collaboration with the University of Vienna. The team comprised David Eagleson, Solène Flambeaux and Aleksandra Spyra, current students…

Anmol Dhawan (24) graduated cum laude from the Advanced LLM in Air and Space Law in Leiden on 28 August 2023. He comes from Mumbai in India and did his bachelor law studies at National Law University Delhi. He has been in the Netherlands since September 2022, so over one year now.

Students greatly benefit from an interdisciplinary learning environment that makes connections with various stakeholders and tackles real-world challenges. This environment allows them to produce innovative and impactful results. As part of their studies, students from the International Institute of…

The International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL) at Leiden University has released a report highlighting that the European Air Traffic Management (ATM) transformation is hindered more by regulatory complexity and political fragmentation than by technological limitations.

The International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL) at Leiden University has joined the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) as its newest Research and Academia member.

A team of students from the Advanced LL.M. in Air and Space Law represented Leiden University at the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition. The European regional rounds of the competition took place at the headquarters of the European Space Agency in Paris, France from 1 to 3 April 2025 and…

During the second episode of this Leiden Law podcast, hosts Juli Wentholt and Ishana Badhai will talk with Tanja Masson-Zwaan about the latest developments in Space Law.

Steven Truxal joins Leiden University as Professor of Air and Space Law on 1 December 2020. Truxal holds a BA in International Affairs with concentrations in international law and economics from The George Washington University, Washington, DC (USA), an LLM in International Commercial Law with focus…

One of ECSL’s most successful activities is the ECSL Summer Course on Space Law and Policy, which is open to students of all levels of study, as well as a few young professionals already working in the space or space-related sectors. The course is now in its 31st year and boasts a large family of alumni…

What started as pioneering work, has evolved over decades to become a renowned institute in 2025 with an internationally acclaimed master's programme. 'Almost everyone involved in the aviation and space sector knows us in Leiden.'

On Thursday 24 May 2018, Tanja Masson-Zwaan of Leiden University’s International Institute of Air and Space Law and Prof Mahulena Hofmann of the University of Luxembourg had the honour of addressing the King and Queen of the Netherlands and the Grand-Duc and Grand-Duchess of Luxembourg during the State…

One of the ECSL’s most successful activities is the ESA/ECSL Summer Course on Space Law and Policy, which is open to students in any stage of their study and a number of young professionals already working in the space industry and space-related sectors. The course is now in its 32nd year and boasts…

Students on the Adv. LL.M. Air and Space Law reacted quickly to the news of Ukrainians fleeing the war in Ukraine to neighbouring countries. Filip Draba, who is from Poland, collected donations from the class and, together with additional contributions from family and friends in Poland, he amassed €…

February 22-23, 2017 University of Sharjah, College of Law. UAE Call for Papers (see attached)

Satellites belonging to American space company SpaceX recently came very close to a Chinese space station. Experts are calling for traffic management rules in space.

During a working visit to a company that cleans up space debris, the British Prince Charles suggested that a climate agreement specifically for space might be a good idea. Experts, including Leiden Law School’s Tanja Masson-Zwaan, say the idea is wishful thinking.

On 12 November 2019, the members of The Hague International Space Resources Governance Working Group adopted the Building Blocks for the Development of an International Framework on Space Resource Activities, during the last meeting of the Working Group that took place in Luxembourg from 11 to 12 November…

Space travel has long since progressed from being just about rockets, travelling to the moon, and Russia and America. The Netherlands has its own Space Agency and one of its important tasks is collecting and making available increasingly advanced satellite data.

Tanja Masson-Zwaan and Dimitra Stefoudi of the International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL) in Leiden, along with two others, co-edited the book ‘Building Blocks for the Development of an International Framework for the Governance of Space Resource Activities. A Commentary’.

Space is of enormous strategic value. Having rules in space therefore is to everyone’s advantage.

Various countries are planning new missions to the Moon. Not just for prestige and science, but also to extract raw materials.

Russia recently blew up a defect satellite. As a result, the amount of space debris in Earth orbit has increased.

Diplomatic relations between European countries and Russia are on edge due to ongoing satellite disruptions. Tanja Masson-Zwaan, assistant professor, spoke to Dutch public broadcaster NOS: ‘It’s difficult to prevent this happening.’

The European Commission has selected a consortium of major European launcher and satellite manufacturers, operators and service providers, as well as policy and legal research centres and institutes to study and provide guidelines and recommendations on Space Traffic Management (STM). The IIASL of Leiden…