INDIAN REVIEW OF AIR AND SPACE LAW BLOG

The Indian Review of Space Law (IRASL) Blog was launched in May of 2023 with the aim of making the Indian Review of Air and Space Law more accessible, compact and digestible to readers interested in aviation and space law. The idea was conceptualised by active contributions of the CRASL Team. Free from the trappings of academic complexity and rigidity, the IRASL Blog provides analyses of specific, contemporary legal issues in bite-sized and easy-to-read pieces; all while making no compromises on the quality of the content. With articles ranging from pragmatic application to abstract analysis, and everything in between, we endeavour to throw open air and space law to the masses, making it a 'niche' subject no longer.

We encourage you to engage with our Blog, share your thoughts, and join us in shaping the future of aviation and space law. Stay tuned for captivating insights with the Centre for Research in Air and Space Law.

Cybersecurity Gaps in Aviation: Why International Law Is Not Ready?

By Kashvi Shrey (Chanakya National Law University, Patna) Introduction On September 19, 2025, a ransomware attack on Collins Aerospace disabled baggage and check-in systems at three European airports: Heathrow, Brussels-Zaventem, and Berlin-Brandenburg. Flights continued to operate, but passengers faced 12-hour delays as ground operations collapsed. A few weeks later, Aeroflot suffered a sophisticated cyberattack that cancelled more than 60 flights and exposed 22 terabytes of

May 207 min read

Outside the Accords: ASEAN and the Quiet Politics of Exclusion in Space Governance

By Shreyasree Paul (Presidency School of Law, Presidency University, Bengaluru) Our Moon is no longer just a symbol of human exploration but rather a rapid evolving site for extraction, infrastructure, and commerce which shapes global space governance. The methods used to govern the activities of humankind in outer space are being transformed dramatically. The lengthy negotiations of treaties among a large number of countries such as the Outer Space Treaty, 1967, are being re

May 207 min read

Private Space Actors And State Responsibility Under International Space Law: Lessons From India’s Emerging Space Sector

By Khushi Mokati (Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar) INTRODUCTION India’s space sector is changing rapidly. By 2023, India’s private space sector had attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in venture funding, reflecting the rapid growth of the country’s commercial space ecosystem. Once dominated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the sector now includes private launch service providers such as Skyroot Aerospace and Agnikul Cosmos, satellite operat

May 206 min read

Grounded by Regulation: An Analysis of India’s FDTL Reforms

By Priyanshu Danu (National Law Institute University, Bhopal) Keywords: Indigo, Flight Duty Time Limitation, Fatigue Risk Management Systems On Friday, 5th December 2025, the only Mumbai - Delhi flight available was priced at ₹51,860 per passenger, while the lone Delhi - Mumbai service was offering seats at ₹48,972. This sharp surge followed the sudden cancellation of more than 1000 flights in the 4 major airports of our nation. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (“D

May 206 min read

Precluding an Arms Race in external Space: Redefining PAROS in a period of Militarisation and Commercial Space Activity

By Suchismita Padhy (National Forensic Sciences University, Gujarat) 1. Preface In the global context, outer space has recently emerged as a very valuable resource. The modern world depends on satellites. They have become the overlooked foundation of contemporary life, essential for everything, from global communication and GPS directions to national security and international financial transactions. The greater the reliance increases, the more security concerns arise, inc

May 176 min read

Orbital Congestion and Legal Liability in the Era of Mega-Constellations

By Rajdeep Dutta and Divisha Dalal (LL.M., University of Bristol) Introduction With the rapid commercialisation of space, the trajectory of human activity in outer space has undergone a paradigm shift. Subsequent to Sputnik, space was the exclusive domain of sovereign nations motivated by geopolitical prestige and military strategy. However, space is being rapidly democratised and commercialised with private corporations and actors like SpaceX and Amazon deploying infrastruct

May 176 min read

Can a State Block The Sky? Starlink, Spectrum and The Limits of Space Freedom

By Taru Jain (MNLU, Mumbai) and Shreya Sharma (HPNLU, Shimla) I. Introduction: The Starlink Paradox In June 2025, Starlink, led by Elon Musk, obtained the required licences to begin operations in India. In August, the company was also granted provisional spectrum. However, this approval came with specific conditions. The final allocation of operational spectrum has not yet been issued and will only be granted after the necessary security clearances are completed. At one point

May 165 min read

Pollution Beyond Earth: Why Space Debris Law Needs a Liability Reset

By Deeksha Saini (Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University) and Himank (ILC, Delhi University) Abstract In 2009, a Russian satellite that was no longer operational crashed into an American communications satellite that was active, spewing more than 2,000 traceable fragments of debris- each of which was literally a bullet at 17,500 miles per hour. Over 36,000 bodies bigger than ten centimetres in diameter and an estimated 130 million micro-fragments fly around our planet tod

May 165 min read

“Where Does the Sky End? Demarcating Airspace and Outer Space: Jurisdictional Challenges in International Law”

By Ishika Trivedi and Anubhav Nag (Himachal Pradesh National Law University) Introduction Imagine a privately owned spaceplane took off from State A and then, while crossing State B, a malfunction in the technicalities led to the fall of debris in State B, and then the plane finally landed in State C. The debris caused injuries to civilians in State B. In such a situation, which state will have jurisdiction? Where will airspace end and outer space start? At what point will so

Apr 276 min read

Wings of Law: Assessing India's 2026 UAM Readiness

By Utkarsh Rai (Ist Year Student, National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi) Introduction - The 2026 UAM Context The horizon of the National Capital Region in early 2026 is no longer defined solely by skyscrapers and a permanent haze of smog; it is now punctuated by the rhythmic pulse of electric rotors. The 27 km commute between the Connought Place in the center of Delhi and the business centre of Gurugram was a rite of passage to traffic hell that took 90 min

Apr 136 min read

Who Owns The Moon's Resources? Examining Property Rights In The Era of New Space Economy

By Riddhima Dogra (IIIrd Year Student, Army Institute of Law) Introduction The Moon is no longer just a subject of scientific curiosity, it has now become an economic and strategic space, something for which even the law was not prepared. For decades, it was a mere symbol of prestige, a podium for countries to hoist their flags upon, claim dominance and assert their technological capabilities. But today, the moon is being reimagined as a hub for resources, a strategic base an

Apr 137 min read

The “Black Box” Problem at 35,000 Feet and Beyond: Who is Liable When an AI Pilot Makes a Catastrophic Decision?

By Bhavya Rai (Student, Rajiv Gandhi National Law University) The accident inquiry into Air Lanka Flight 602 was like nothing before or since. The black boxes came through intact, indicating the aircraft was performing flawlessly and responding perfectly to every command. The conversations on the voice recorder captured the hum of the plane’s systems and the two pilots’ confusion, “Why’s it doing that?” Then, in the final moments, the First Officer begged the plane, “Ove

Apr 136 min read

The sky is shared; the law is not: Space Debris and Aviation Safety

By Ishita Mishra (IInd Year Student, Gujarat National Law University) The airspace above Earth should remain unobstructed for commercial aviation. It should not need to share space with the remains of human space exploration. We have spent decades building a detailed international legal structure around space without once seriously asking what happens when that space comes crashing down to the air that planes fly through. This question no longer remains abstract. In October 2

Apr 56 min read

Who Owns the Orbit? Space Traffic Management and Law of Shared Responsibility.

By Arya Anushree & Debomita Biswas (LL.M., Symbiosis Law School,Pune) We’ve mastered space travel, but not space discipline, and that’s becoming a dangerous problem. Every l aunch, development and innovation with relation to space has been a proud moment for every nation across the world, but what has been kept out of mind and consideration is that s pace is no longer the empty, silent frontier we once imagined, w ith satellites, mega constellations, and growing cloud

Mar 316 min read

Remote Sensing Data, National Security, and Commercial Access: Re-Evaluation of India Control-Oriented Approach.

By Divija Manaktala (IInd Year, Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai) Introduction Remote sensing information developed by satellites has become one of the most important informational assets within the digital economy in the modern era. Since precision agriculture and climate modelling, insurance risk assessment, infrastructure planning, and disaster response are all examples of areas where high-resolution earth-observation data is becoming a foundation of both the

Mar 26 min read

Legal Incapacity in Regulation of Laser-Based Satellites

By Naman Singla (III Year, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala) Introduction Public International law (“PIL”) in the recent times is spreading its arms to new arenas to regulate the conduct of the state actors beyond territorial boundaries. Space law is one such subset of PIL which regulates the state activities beyond the Earth’s Atmosphere. The Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use o

Dec 18, 20237 min read