ECSL National Point of Contact for Denmark
The ECSL is very happy to announce the Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education as our Danish NPOC! We look forward to working together in order to create opportunities and more interest in the field of space law and policy in Denmark! In order for our Members to get to know the new NPoC, we asked the Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education to introduce their work and tell us a bit about what is happening in the Danish space sector.
The Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education is honoured to be appointed as Danish national point of contact for the ECSL.
The Agency is the Danish space authority and is part of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. The Agency is responsible for the Danish space policy and strategy as well as matters relating to the regulation of Danish activities in outer space, including approval and supervision of space activities and registration of space objects.
Despite its small size, Denmark has contributed significantly to the development of space science and technology. Tycho Brahe was the first astronomer to observe and chart a supernova explosion, and his findings led to the deviation from the then accepted Aristotelian theory that the heavens consisted of seven shells. Another Dane, Ole Rømer, was the first to observe that the speed of light is finite speed, by observing the stable orbit of Jupiter’s moon Io.
Denmark was one of the founding members of the European Space Agency and has been a spacefaring nation since 1999 with the launch of the Ørsted satellite. In 2015 the first Danish ESA astronaut, Andreas Mogensen, visited the International Space Station.
In recent years, Denmark has experienced an increased focus on space technologies in industry and academia. Danish space companies and researchers create innovative products and services that compete at the highest level – most recently with the construction of ASIM, ESA’s climate observatory for the International Space Station, which was launched to the station in April 2018.
Due to the growing number of Danish space activities, the field of space law is becoming increasingly important in Denmark.
Denmark plays an active role in the development of the legal framework related to space activities. In 2016 Denmark’s very first space law entered into force. The law establishes the framework for ensuring that Danish space activities take place on a regulated and safe basis in accordance with international law.
As the Danish national point of contact for the ECSL the Agency will work to strengthen the interest in and knowledge of space law and policy in Denmark and looks forward to cooperating with the ECSL and the other national points of contact on developing and promoting this important field of law.
For further information please see the details below.
Webpage:
DK: www.ufm.dk
ENG: www.ufm.dk/en
E-mail:
sfu-jur@ufm.dk