Is outer space really a commons?

While the 1967 Outer Space Treaty legally enshrined the cosmos as a "global commons" for the benefit of all humanity, the geopolitical and commercial realities of modern spacefarers paint a starkly different picture. As low Earth orbit grows increasingly crowded and lunar resource extraction nears reality, the peaceful, equitable ideal of space is strained by national rivalries and privatised corporate interests. Entering the "second space age", humanity stands at a critical crossroads. At the IF, space law expert Dr Heather Allansdottir explores why treating space as an unregulated frontier threatens its long-term viability, and why we must forge a new governance framework—one that prioritises space sustainability, safeguards orbital environments, and genuinely guarantees that the benefits of space exploration remain accessible to all humankind. About the speaker Dr Heather Allansdottir is an academic, author, and legal scholar specialising in space governance and constitutional law. She is the founder and director of Astrodottir, a consultancy dedicated to space sustainability, and contributes to international space law initiatives through her work with organisations such as Jus Ad Astra, a 'space and human rights' organisation. Her research critically examines off-earth governance, equity, and the evolving regulatory frameworks of the second space age. Dr Allansdottir is the author of the forthcoming book New Perspectives in Outer Space Law (Springer), which explores modern legal mechanisms to ensure space remains sustainable and accessible for all humankind.