Guillaume Loonis Quélen took part in the 2019 Practitioners’ Forum of the European Centre for Space Law (ECSL) at ESTEC, ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre (Noordwijk, Netherlands), on 25 April 2019.
The 2019 ECSL Practitioners’ Forum, titled “The Moon Village Concept: Practical, Business and Legal Challenges,” was held on April 25, 2019, at ESTEC (Netherlands). The day, chaired by Professors Sergio Marchisio and Frans von der Dunk, brought together experts from ESA, the private sector, and academia around the Moon Village concept.
The morning, dedicated to technical and strategic issues, covered the Moon Village initiative, ESA’s lunar projects, and the opportunities offered by the Lunar Orbital Platform Gateway, drawing parallels with the operation of the ISS. The importance of industrial partnerships was also emphasized.
The afternoon focused on the public, commercial, and legal interests related to lunar exploration: protection of heritage sites like Apollo 17, private lunar mission initiatives, and commercial development prospects. The presentations were followed by interactive discussions highlighting the legal challenges to anticipate in lunar exploration.