Fiona Naysmith

Research Student

Fiona Naysmith is a PhD student affiliated with The Open University Law School and is also an affiliate member of AstrobiologyOU.

You can email Fiona Naysmith directly but for media enquiries, please contact a member of The Open University's Media Relations Team.

Biography

She holds a Master of Laws in Space Law (with Distinction) from Northumbria Law School (2022), a Bachelor of Law from Nottingham Law School and a Diploma in Theatre from the Guildford School of Acting. In her PhD research she is investigating corporate responsibility in outer space viewed through the prism of both national regulations and international criminal law.

Fiona’s research interest lies in the development of space law and governance which supports an equitable and sustainable future in outer space. Related areas of research include the regulation of artificial intelligence in outer space, and developments in the use of space dependent technologies in Warfare.

Fiona's publications and presentations are as follows.

Events Pending (Y2024):

British International Studies Association (BISA)

• BISA 2024 Conference, International Law and Politics Working Group

• Paper (June 2024): The Law of Outer Space: In Whose Interest?

Conference Papers Presented (Y2023):

British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL)

• BIICL/ SLS Workshop 2023, Non-State Actors in International Law

• Paper (November 2023): Space Pirates: Securing Non-State Actor Liability in Outer Space

British International Studies Association (BISA)

• BISA 2023 Conference, Astropolitics Working Group

• Paper (June 2023): Space Resources Governance, The Extractavist Model: a Rival Regime

Research Poster (Y2023):

OU Graduate School Poster Competition 2023 (Winning Entry)

• Poster (July 2023): Space Resources Extraction: The Case for a Moritorium

Current Research

PhD Thesis, Working Title (2023-2025): 'Holding Corporate Actors Accountable for Space-Based Harms or Threats thereof to the Environment of Outer Space, or to the Interests of Other Users of Outer Space'.

In her current research, Fiona is investigating the content of the duties and responsibilities of the private space sector, and with particular regards to the development of space law and governance which supports an equitable and sustainable future in outer space. This research is undertaken in tandem with investigation into applicable enforcement mechanisms at both the international and national level. Related areas of interest include the governance of space-based artificial intelligence, and space dependent technologies capable of use in warfare.