Laura Hill Partner

The NewSpace industry involves cutting-edge technologies. It also raises cutting-edge product liability risks. Hundreds of entities can be involved in a launch, including launch service providers, spacecraft and component part manufacturers, payload manufacturers, launch site operators, and space flight participants. If something goes wrong during launch, orbit, or reentry, any one of these parties could potentially be at fault. Manufacturers of equipment that may be used in space should carefully assess their product liability risks—and proactively seek to mitigate those risks.

Last week, three U.S. Department of Transportation agencies issued requests for comment on ways to update federal regulations and policies to allow for the safe testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles.

As Washington thinks about its maritime future, it should think critically about how new technologies will change the industry.

The ocean covers more than seventy percent of our planet’s surface, yet much of it is unexplored. Autonomous technology is pushing into this “new frontier” and developing at a breakneck speed.