Space Court Foundation

What Space Court Foundation does

Space Court Foundation (SCF) is an international non-profit organization founded in 2018 that conducts research, education, and community media production focused exclusively on space law and policy. It serves students, early-career professionals, academic institutions, and policy researchers in the space law field across approximately 50 jurisdictions globally. SCF is co-founded by Chris Hearsey and Nathan Johnson, operates with roughly 38 staff, and is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania (USA), with an EU arm (SCF-EU) and a claimed global footprint across 28+ countries.

SCF's core products are content- and community-oriented rather than technology-platform oriented. Its flagship offerings include the Space Court Law Library (a subscription-gated, web-based repository of primary and secondary source legal materials covering all UN COPUOS countries), the open-access Space Law Research Guide, the Big Books of National Space Law series (26 volumes in production as of 2026), and the Student Space Law Journal (a biannual, peer-reviewed academic publication launched in June 2024). Educational offerings comprise the Global Internship Program (120+ alumni from 56 universities in 28 countries) and exclusive North American organizer status for the IISL Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition (100+ participating law schools globally). Community media projects include the Stellar Decisis animated series, the Women of Color in Space podcast, The Space Bar Show, and historical projects such as The Haley Project. The underlying "technology" is a curated content corpus and a network of academic and intergovernmental partnerships rather than a proprietary software platform.

SCF operates a diversified non-profit revenue model combining subscription revenue from the Space Court Law Library, donations via PayPal, recurring Patreon memberships, branded merchandise sales through Celestial Objections Apparel, and public grants plus institutional funding through research partnerships. The organization has formalized partnerships with UN bodies (UNOOSA, UNIDIR, UNIDROIT, IISL) and leading space law academic centers (Leiden, McGill, University of Mississippi, University of Nebraska, King's College London, University of Twente, UNSW, ASU, Open Lunar Foundation, Australasian Centre for Space Governance, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Northumbria Law School, ESPI). There is no disclosed external funding, parent organization, or acquisition activity.

Name

Space Court Foundation

Legal name

Space Court Foundation

Website

https://spacecourtfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Space Court Foundation is a non-profit founded in 2018 that researches, curates, and teaches space law and policy for students, academics, and policymakers worldwide via the Space Court Law Library, Big Books of National Space Law, the Student Space Law Journal, a global internship program, and the North American IISL Lachs Moot Court.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Research and Education

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Other Legal Services (54119)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAGAFAG

Law & Legal Studies Scholarly Publishing

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Academic & Scholarly Publishing (Journals, Monographs)

SECONDARYEDAEAGAD

Special Libraries (Law, Medical, Corporate, Government) Operations

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/Library, Media Center & Learning Space Operations

SECONDARYEDAHAIAF

Specialty Law Schools (e.g., Tax, IP, International, Trial Advocacy)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Law Schools

SECONDARYEDAAALAB

Legal & Compliance (CLE, Paralegal CE)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

SECONDARYBPADAAAK

International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Multilateral & Intergovernmental Organizations

Keywords

• Space law research
• Legal education programs
• Academic journal publishing
• Moot court competitions
• Policy research services

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Space Court Law Library Subscriptions: Access to the complete law library requires a subscription, providing recurring revenue from members and subscribers who access primary source legal documents related to national and international space law.
2. Donations and Memberships: The organization accepts donations via PayPal and operates a Patreon membership program to support the library and the mission of the Space Court Foundation.
3. Merchandise Sales: SCF sells Space Court merchandise through Celestial Objections Apparel, providing ancillary revenue from branded goods.
4. Public Grants and Institutional Funding: SCF engages in public grant consortia and institutional partnerships to fund research and educate students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Space Court Foundation is an international non-profit research and educational organization that operates the Space Court Law Library, a comprehensive web-based subscription repository of primary and secondary source legal documents covering national and international space law across all UN COPUOS countries. It publishes a biannual peer-reviewed Student Space Law Journal, runs a global internship program for students from 56 universities in 28 countries, and serves as exclusive organizer of the IISL Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court North American Regional Competition.

Product overview

The Space Court Foundation (SCF) is an international space law and policy research and educational organization founded in 2018. SCF operates a comprehensive product portfolio consisting of research tools (Space Court Law Library, Space Law Research Guide, Big Books of National Space Law), academic publications (Student Space Law Journal, International Yearbook of Space Activities, Space Law Lexicon), educational programs (Global Internship Program, IISL Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition), and community media productions (Stellar Decisis, Women of Color in Space, The Space Bar Show). The organization also maintains historical archives including the Space Law Archive and Historical Projects like the Andrew G. Haley Project. Access to complete library resources requires subscription, while research guides and educational content serve the academic and policy-making community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Space Court Law Library: A comprehensive one-stop shop for primary and secondary source materials related to space law in all United Nations COPUOS countries
• Student Space Law Journal
• Stellar Decisis
• Women of Color in Space
• The Haley Project
• The Space Bar Show
• Big Books of National Space Law
• Space Law Research Guide
• IISL/Lachs Moot Court

Products and services

• Space Court Law Library
• Space Law Research Guide
• Big Books of National Space Law A curated compilation of all national law and policy relating to space activities including launch licensing, spectrum allocation, taxation, and voting rights in space, with detailed explanations of government, legislative, and judicial structures. 26 are currently in production.
• Student Space Law Journal A bi-annual, peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to fostering academic excellence among students and early-career professionals in space law and policy. It is the first international journal exclusively for student-authored scholarship in this discipline.
• Global Internship Program A global internship program providing educational and professional opportunities in space law for students from 56 universities in 28 countries on 6 continents, with over 120 interns supported.
• IISL Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition - North America Region An international moot court competition with over 100 law schools participating globally. The North American Regional Competition is exclusively organized, managed, and promoted by SCF, with regional winners advancing to world finals.
• Stellar Decisis An animated media series that examines how courts might handle disputes in space using real international law to argue hypothetical but plausible cases involving future space activity, with a pilot episode addressing a scenario where one nation destroys an asteroid threatening Earth with nuclear weapons.
• Women of Color in Space A SCF podcast series hosted by Nivedita Raju that profiles and highlights women of color working in the space sector.
• The Space Bar Show A special project and community media production produced by SCF as part of their community media production efforts in space law.
• Space Law Archive and Historical Projects A research initiative focused on historical figures in space law and policy, developing profiles and analysis of their contributions, with the first project covering Andrew G. Haley.
• International Yearbook of Space Activities A year-by-year compendium documenting changes to national and international laws related to space activities around the world.
• The Space Law Lexicon A dictionary project creating multilingual definitions of space legal and regulatory terminology relating to space activities across multiple jurisdictions and languages.

Quantifiable outcome

• 120+ interns from 56 universities in 28 countries on 6 continents through Global Internship Program
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Space Policy Institute (ESPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESPI is listed as a partner organization, indicating collaborative relationship in space policy research and education.
• United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNIDIR Space Security Portal partnership, providing access to space security research materials and collaborative opportunities.
• United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNOOSA partnership for space law research and education, working together on space governance matters.
• Leiden University International Institute of Air and Space LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with one of the world's leading space law institutes for research collaboration and student exchange.
• University of Nebraska College of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with University of Nebraska's space and cyber law program for research and educational collaboration.
• McGill University Institute of Air and Space LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with McGill's renowned air and space law institute for collaborative research and education.
• University of Mississippi Center for Air and Space LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the University of Mississippi's space law center for academic collaboration.
• University of Twente Digital Society InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with University of Twente on digital society and space law intersections.
• Australasian Centre for Space GovernanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Australasian Centre for Space Governance for regional space governance research.
• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Centre for Space SustainabilityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on space sustainability law and policy research.
• King's College London Freeman Air and Space InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with King's College London's air and space law institute for academic research and education.
• University of New South Wales AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with UNSW Australia on space law research and education.
• Arizona State University School of Earth and Space ExplorationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ASU's school of earth and space exploration for interdisciplinary research.
• Open Lunar FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Open Lunar Foundation on lunar governance and policy research.
• International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UNIDROIT for private law aspects of space law harmonization.
• IISL Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCF is the exclusive organizer, fundraiser, manager, and promoter of the North American Regional Competition of this prestigious international moot court competition.
• International Institute of Space Law (IISL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with IISL for space law research, education, and moot court competitions.
• Northumbria Law SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Northumbria Law School for space law research and education in the UK.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Institute of Air and Space Law (McGill University): McGill's IASL is one of the world's longest-standing space law academic institutes and a listed SCF partner. They co-locate in the niche academic space law community and share research and student audiences.
• Leiden University International Institute of Air and Space Law: Leiden's IIASL is a core SCF partner and a leading academic space law program. Both organizations serve students and researchers in space law, though Leiden operates as a degree-granting institution while SCF is an independent foundation.
• Center for Air and Space Law (University of Mississippi): Ole Miss's Center for Air and Space Law is a leading academic space law program and a listed SCF partner. Both serve student and researcher audiences in space law, though Ole Miss is an academic producer while SCF is an independent non-profit aggregator.

Direct peers

• International Institute of Space Law (IISL): The IISL is the foremost international organization dedicated to space law and is a direct partner of SCF. Both organizations publish space law scholarship, organize the Manfred Lachs Moot Court, and interact with the same academic and policy communities.
• European Space Policy Institute (ESPI): ESPI is a public-policy think tank focused on space policy and law in Europe and a listed SCF partner. It produces research output, hosts events, and engages with international institutions on space governance — overlapping closely with SCF's mission.
• Secure World Foundation: Secure World Foundation is a non-profit advancing the secure, sustainable, and peaceful use of outer space through policy research and international dialogue. It overlaps with SCF on space sustainability and governance content and serves a similar audience.
• Open Lunar Foundation: Open Lunar is a non-profit focused on peaceful and cooperative lunar governance, and is a listed SCF partner. Both operate at the intersection of space law, policy research, and non-profit mission-driven operations.

Broad incumbents

• United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA): UNOOSA is the UN body that administers COPUOS, the very framework SCF's library is built around. While its mandate is governmental rather than editorial, UNOOSA is the upstream authority SCF references and a key partner; it dwarfs SCF in resources and policy reach.
• HeinOnline: HeinOnline is a major legal database that aggregates law journals, treaties, and historical legal materials. Its breadth and institutional distribution make it a broader incumbent that competes for the same library/research budget SCF targets in space law.
• Aerospace Corporation (Center for Space Policy and Strategy): The Aerospace Corporation's Center for Space Policy and Strategy produces influential space policy research and operates alongside organizations like SCF in shaping space governance discourse. It is a broader incumbent with both policy and technical dimensions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/spacecourtfdn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SpaceCourtFoundation/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/spacecourtfdn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spacecourtfdn
• Instagraminstagram.com/spacecourtfdn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Space Court Foundation