Join us on May 8th for the 1014 Next Frontiers Symposium, a critical trans-Atlantic dialogue on the future of our global society! The University of Cologne New York Office is excited to partner on the conversation “Who ‘Owns’ the Moon? Establishing Norms in the New Space Race”.

As activity in space accelerates - from satellite constellations to lunar missions, resource extraction, and exploration beyond Earth - who sets the rules, and who stands to benefit? In this conversation, space law expert Stephan Hobe and astrophysicist Gioia Rau discuss controversial perspectives on governance and discovery to unpack space as a scientific frontier, as well as an emerging economic and political sphere.

With the Moon as a testing ground for a new space race, how are norms and rules being shaped in real time? Can existing legal frameworks keep pace with commercial ambitions, geopolitical interests, and technological breakthroughs? Who has the right to extract, benefit, and profit from space resources - and how are those benefits shared? And as we expand further into space, can it remain a global commons, or is competition for access and ownership already reshaping the rules?

Featuring Stephan Hobe, Director of the Institute for Air Law, Space Law and Cyber Law and Chair of Public International Law, European Law, European and International Economic Law at the University of Cologne, Gioia Rau of The Catholic University of America, and moderator Kenneth Chang, science reporter at The New York Times.

The symposium is conceived and organized by 1014, in partnership with the German Center for Research and Innovation (DWIH) New York, the American Council on Germany, and the University of Cologne’s New York Office.

Date and Time: May 8, 2026, 11:45 am - 12:45 pm

Location: In-Person, Spacious Studio 1, 873 Broadway, Second Floor, NY, NY 10003

More Information: https://www.1014.nyc/events/next-frontiers-space-ethics