Commercial space activities
Research and analysis on authorisation, supervision, liability, registration and the legal architecture of private space operations.
Ian Elly Ssali Kiggundu
Space-law jurist
Policy specialist
- Based in
- Paris, France
- Focus
- Europe · Africa · International
Space law · policy · business
Legal insight for organisations operating in a changing space economy.
I help companies, institutions and research partners understand the legal and policy frameworks shaping commercial space activities, strategic cooperation and responsible growth.
- ESA Former intern, Director General’s Cabinet at ESRIN
- ASLI Policy Fellow, 2026–2027
- Corporate Contract and ESG experience at Linklaters
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About
I am an Italian-Ugandan jurist working at the intersection of space law, corporate decision-making and international policy.
My work connects rigorous legal research with the practical questions faced by commercial operators and institutions: how emerging rules affect strategy, how responsibilities are allocated across partnerships, and how organisations can engage responsibly in a rapidly evolving sector.
I bring experience from the European Space Agency, corporate legal work at Linklaters and policy research focused on European and African space governance. I am available for research collaborations, legal-policy analysis, briefings and selected advisory assignments.
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Expertise for organisations
Focused support for teams that need a clear view of regulation, institutional context and legal risk.
Contracts & corporate frameworks
Experience reviewing NDAs, MoUs, SaaS and joint-venture arrangements, with attention to governance, allocation of responsibility and ESG considerations.
Policy & regulatory intelligence
Concise briefings on European and international developments, including national space laws, EU initiatives and multilateral processes.
Europe–Africa cooperation
Analysis of institutions, financing, partnerships and market development across the European and African space ecosystems.
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Selected experience
2026–2027
Policy Fellow
African Space Leadership Institute
Research, advocacy and stakeholder engagement concerning Africa’s space sector and its international partnerships.
2024
Legal and ESG internship
Linklaters LLP, Milan
Contract review and drafting support across NDAs, MoUs, SaaS and joint-venture documentation, alongside ESG and corporate-governance research.
2023
Intern, Director General’s Cabinet
European Space Agency, ESRIN
Briefing and institutional support in an international space-agency environment, including work connected with the Director General’s activities.
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Research & publications
Research developed to be useful beyond academia: for operators, policymakers and institutions.
Book · 2024
On the Legal Framework of Orbiting Space Stations and the Privatisation of Space Law
A comparative study of the legal frameworks governing orbital stations and the growing participation of private actors, addressing jurisdiction, liability, registration, astronauts, spaceports and emerging commercial models.
“LEX ORBITALIS NOVA” SERIES
Specialised Legal Essays
A specialist analysis of Italy’s new space legislation, examining its regulatory architecture, authorisation and supervision framework, liability rules and implications for public institutions and commercial operators.
DownloadForthcoming chapter
Financing Africa’s Space Activities
Research on financial architecture, regional cooperation and the conditions required for stronger intra-African space-sector trade.
Current research
Europe in the new space order
The EU Space Act, space resources, commercial launchers and spaceports, and Europe’s pursuit of strategic autonomy.
Research themes
Governance of emerging operations
Orbital infrastructure, sustainability, on-orbit services, private participation and the evolution of international space-law frameworks.
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Selected engagements
ERMINe Annual Event 2026 — New Space Order
Speaker at ESA-ESTEC in Noordwijk on “New Space Order: Regulation, Commercialisation and Access to Space”, 2 December 2026.
View event12th CSET Conference — Cyberspace: The New Domain of Security
Speaker at the 12th CSET Conference in Genoa, in the roundtable “Cyberspace: The New Domain of Security”, on Thursday, 12 November 2026 at 14:00.
View programme
Beyond Boundaries — USAfrica Policy Series
Virtual panelist on space law and regulation, Texas A&M University Bush School.
Italia Africa Business Week
Invited panelist for “From microenterprise to space: new development trajectories in African markets”, Rome.
UNOOSA Space Law Conference 2025
Expert participant in the United Nations conference dedicated to current developments in international space law.
UNOOSA Conference on the Commercial Lunar Landscape and Policy Needs
Expert participant in discussions on emerging lunar activities, commercial actors and related policy needs, Vienna.
Corporate collaboration
Turn legal and policy complexity into a clearer course of action.
I welcome enquiries from space companies, consultancies, research organisations and institutions seeking focused research, briefings or project-based collaboration.
Contact Ian