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Cassandra Steer

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,...

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Economy

US Stock Futures Recover as Iran Signals Progress in Peace Talks

U.S. stock index futures pared earlier losses on Sunday night after Iran reported progress in ongoing peace negotiations held in Switzerland, easing investor concerns about escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle...

Gold Price Rises as Investors Weigh U.S.-Iran Talks and Fed Policy Outlook

Gold prices moved higher on Monday as investors closely followed developments in U.S.-Iran negotiations and evaluated the future direction of U.S. monetary policy after the Federal Reserves recent hawkish stance. Spot gold...

Oil Prices Drop as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Supply Concerns

Oil prices fell on Monday as progress in U.S.-Iran negotiations reduced fears of a potential supply disruption in global energy markets. The decline came after Iranian officials announced they had secured waivers for oil...

Russian Stocks End Flat as MOEX Index Hits New 52-Week Low

Russian stocks closed largely unchanged on Sunday, with the MOEX Russia Index ending the session flat at 0.00% while marking a new 52-week low. The lack of movement across major Russian equities reflected a subdued trading...

France Faces Long Road to Economic Rebalancing as Weak Demand and High Rates Weigh, Says Citi

France may remain stuck in a prolonged period of weak domestic demand, low inflation, and fiscal challenges as structural shifts in its labor market make the economy more vulnerable to high interest rates than other...

Politics

Pedro Sanchez’s Wife Ordered to Stand Trial in Spain Corruption Case

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchezs wife, Begoña Gomez, has been ordered to stand trial on corruption-related charges and has been barred from leaving Spain, according to a ruling issued by Judge Juan Carlos...

Moscow Downs Dozens of Ukrainian Drones as Airports Halt Flights Amid Escalating Attacks

Russias capital, Moscow, came under a major drone attack early Monday, with air defense systems intercepting nearly 60 Ukrainian drones heading toward the city, according to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. The incident briefly...

China Adds MP Materials, USA Rare Earth to Export Control List Amid Escalating U.S.-China Trade Tensions

China has expanded its export control measures by adding two major U.S. rare earth companies, MP Materials Corp (NYSE: MP) and USA Rare Earth Inc (NASDAQ: USAR), to its export control list, according to a notice issued by...

US-Iran De-Escalation Shifts Washington’s Focus to AI Regulation and Crypto Legislation

A potential easing of tensions between the United States and Iran is redirecting Washingtons attention toward major technology policy initiatives and executive actions, according to a new report from Wolfe Research. The...

Pirro Warns of Prosecution for Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Vandalism Amid Renovation Issues

People caught vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Washingtons National Mall will face full prosecution, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. Her comments come as concerns grow over damage and...

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

Google’s Open-Source AI Data Center Cooling Design Raises Commoditization Concerns

Googles newly introduced open-source liquid-cooling design for AI data centers is drawing attention across the data center infrastructure industry, with analysts suggesting it could accelerate the commoditization of...

John Jumper Leaves Google DeepMind for Anthropic Amid Intensifying AI Talent Race

John Jumper, the Google DeepMind researcher who shared the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his groundbreaking work on the AlphaFold artificial intelligence system, has announced that he is leaving Google DeepMind to join...

Trump Says Anthropic No Longer Seen as National Security Threat

U.S. President Donald Trump said he no longer views artificial intelligence company Anthropic as a national security threat, marking a significant shift from his stance just a week earlier. The comments came during an...

Meta Seeks Legal Shield From Child-Harm Lawsuits Amid KOSA Talks

Meta Platforms is reportedly lobbying U.S. lawmakers to include legal protections for social media companies in the proposed Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a move that could significantly impact thousands of lawsuits...

SpaceX Stock Slides After IPO Rally as Valuation Concerns Grow

SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) shares extended their pullback on Thursday after a remarkable post-IPO rally, as investors locked in profits and questioned the companys lofty valuation. The stock, which dropped nearly 10% earlier in...
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