Air and Space Law, M.S. (Online)

We’ll cover who does what (NASA, the National Space Council, the FAA, the Department of Commerce, the FCC) and how they regulate activities such as launches, remote sensing, building spaceports, operating satellites, and managing orbital debris. We’ll also discuss how U.S. space law interacts with international rules, and how emerging industries like space tourism and lunar resource mining are shaping future regulations.

Students will study applications such as autonomous aircraft, AI-driven mission planning, predictive maintenance, satellite data analysis, and AI-assisted space traffic management. The course addresses safety, liability, intellectual property, and compliance questions, as well as ethical issues such as bias in algorithms and human oversight of automated systems. By the end of the course, students will be prepared to assess risks, meet regulatory requirements, and support innovation when integrating AI into aerospace operations.

Students will explore U.S. federal rules such as FAA Part 107 (commercial drone operations) and Remote ID requirements, along with state and local laws, privacy protections, and security concerns. The course also looks at international approaches, comparing how other countries regulate drone operations. Case studies will cover uses such as emergency response, infrastructure inspection, delivery services, and urban air mobility, while also addressing challenges like unauthorized flights and counter-drone measures.