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Sat, Aug 22, 2026 12:00 AM All times are UTC

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Cassandra Steer

Lecturer, ANU Center for International and Public Law; Mission Specialist, ANU Institute for Space, Australian National University
I am a senior consultant and lecturer, specialising in space law and space policy at the Australian National University College of Law. I have over 13 years’ professional experience in academia and strategic direction of research centres and NGOs. I was an Assistant Professor at the Universiteit van Amsterdam, where I taught and researched comparative criminal law and international criminal law. I moved to Canada in 2015 to become the Executive Director of the McGill Institute for Air and Space Law, and to pursue my research in space security and the applicability of the law of armed conflict to space. I was concurrently Executive Director of Women in International Security-Canada. For a short period before my maternity leave I took up the position of Acting Executive Director of the University of Pennsylvania Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law, where I organized and facilitated a high level national roundtable on space security and space weaponization. I have recently relocated to Australia to continue my specialisation in space law, and to provide legal and policy expertise to research and technology development undertaken under the ANU Institute for Space (InSpace).

Space Science Series

Today’s space race could turn fatal if we don’t agree on new rules

Jun 22, 2026 11:05 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen had an emotional message before he and three colleagues set off for the Moon earlier this year on the Artemis II mission: We go for all humanity. The successful ten-day lunar flyby mission...

Global Geopolitics Series

Anti-satellite weapons: the US has sworn off tests, and Australia should follow suit

Apr 23, 2022 08:11 am UTC| Politics

When United States Vice-President Kamala Harris was at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California earlier this week she said the US would not conduct tests of destructive, direct ascent anti-satellite missiles. This...

SpaceX's historic launch gives Australia's booming space industry more room to fly

Jun 03, 2020 15:00 pm UTC| Technology

At the weekend, Elon Musks commercial giant SpaceX launched two NASA astronauts in a spacecraft named Crew Dragon which, from the inside, looked like a souped-up Tesla. The Falcon 9 rocket launched the spacecraft,...

Economy

Peru Economy Grows 2.6% in Q2 as Private Investment Surges

Perus economy expanded 2.6% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, slightly exceeding market expectations as strong domestic demand and private investment helped offset weakness in manufacturing and fishing. The...

US Dollar Heads for Worst Week Since July as Fiscal Concerns Mount

The U.S. dollar was on course Friday for its steepest weekly decline since late July as mounting fiscal concerns and unusual Treasury market intervention weighed on investor confidence. The U.S. Dollar Index, which...

Gold Prices Hit Three-Month High as Dollar Weakens

Gold prices surged to a three-month high on Friday and headed for strong weekly gains as a weaker U.S. dollar and mounting concerns over Treasury yields and government debt boosted demand for the precious metal. Spot gold...

Wall Street Ends Higher as Crypto Stocks and Materials Rally

Wall Street closed higher on Friday as gains in materials and cryptocurrency-related stocks helped offset renewed pressure from rising U.S. Treasury yields and elevated oil prices. The SP 500 gained 0.4% to finish at...

US Debt Tops $40 Trillion as Global Borrowing Costs Surge

U.S. government debt has surpassed $40 trillion for the first time, highlighting growing fiscal pressures as major economies face rising spending demands from ageing populations, defence, climate change and higher interest...

Politics

NATO Facilitates Allied Talks on Strait of Hormuz Navigation

NATOs top military commander convened a videoconference this week to help interested allies coordinate potential contributions aimed at protecting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, while stressing that the...

Russian Drone Strike on Kryvyi Rih Shopping Centre Kills 15

At least 15 people were killed and more than 130 others injured after multiple Russian drones struck a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih, central Ukraine, on Friday, according to Ukrainian authorities. Oleksandr Hanzha, the...

Turkey Seeks Interpol Red Notice for Netanyahu Over Gaza Aid Flotilla

Turkey said Friday it will seek an Interpol red notice for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of a criminal investigation linked to Israels interception of activists attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to...

Prince Harry, Elton John Ordered to Pay £9.54 Million in Daily Mail Legal Costs

Britains Prince Harry, singer Elton John and other prominent figures have been ordered to make a 9.54 million ($12.7 million) interim payment toward the legal costs of Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers after...

EU’s Von der Leyen Condemns Israel’s E1 West Bank Settlement Plan

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday strongly criticized Israels decision to issue construction tenders for the controversial E1 residential development in the occupied West Bank, adding to growing...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Apple Cuts Over 200 Siri, Vision Pro Jobs in AI Shift

Apple is cutting more than 200 jobs across teams responsible for its Siri digital assistant, Vision Pro headset and artificial intelligence features as the technology giant redirects resources toward new devices and AI...

Amazon to Expand Drone Delivery to 500 U.S. Locations

Amazon plans to significantly expand its drone delivery service across the United States, targeting roughly 500 cities and towns by the end of the year as the e-commerce giant accelerates its long-running Prime Air...

TikTok, DOJ Reach $400 Million Children’s Privacy Settlement

TikTok and the U.S. Department of Justice have reached a $400 million settlement to resolve allegations that the popular short-video platform violated federal childrens online privacy protections. The agreement settles a...

Anthropic IPO Could Challenge SpaceX’s Record $86 Billion Offering

Anthropic is reportedly considering an initial public offering that could rival or surpass SpaceXs record-breaking IPO, potentially making the artificial intelligence company responsible for the largest public share sale...

Samsung Shares Rise on $72 Billion Shareholder Return Plan

Samsung Electronics shares climbed on Friday following reports that the South Korean technology giant is preparing a shareholder return package potentially exceeding 100 trillion won ($72 billion). Samsungs board is...