Congratulations to Aaron Boley (Ph.D., 2007). The book he co-authored with Michael Myers, titled Who Owns Outer Space? (Cambridge University Press, 2023), won the 2023 Donner Prize for the best public policy book written by a Canadian.
This critically acclaimed book covers the science, law, and policy challenges posed by the rapid development of space, both governmental and private. Topics include environment, safety, and security concerns due to orbit crowding, space debris, pollution, asteroid strikes, and anti-satellite weapons. Development of space also raises critical issues of equity in the allocation of resources and benefits. The book is written from the perspectives of both science and international law. Will human civilization succeed or fail to expand further into space in a way that leads to our universal betterment? This is a critical time for us to answer this question, before it’s too late.
Dr. Aaron Boley holds the Canada Research Chair in Planetary Astronomy at the University of British Columbia. He co-directs the Outer Space Institute, an interdisciplinary organization that addresses challenges associated with sustainable development of Outer Space. The book is available via open access through Cambridge Core.
The College of Arts