Michelle L.D. Hanlon

Michelle L.D. Hanlon serves as Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Mississippi School of Law and Executive Director of the Center for Air and Space Law. She concurrently holds leadership roles as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Space Law and Journal of Drone Law and Policy, and as co-founder/CEO of For All Moonkind, Inc., a UN-recognized Permanent Observer organization dedicated to protecting human heritage in outer space.

Education:

• B.A. in Political Science from Yale College (1983)
• J.D. magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center
• LLM in Air and Space Law from McGill University (2017)

Her research centers on Lunar Governance and the protection of space heritage sites, Sustainability of Space Activities through orbital debris mitigation frameworks, and Drone Law applications for emergency response. She champions the legal concept of 'due regard' to establish responsible commercial space operations, with particular focus on preserving Apollo landing sites and developing international heritage protection zones on the Moon. Her work bridges space law with practical policy implementation through UN engagements and national legislation.

Dr. Hanlon spearheaded the U.S. One Small Step Act - the first national law recognizing space heritage - and leads For All Moonkind's global consortium of 100+ legal and heritage experts. She advises The Hague Institute for Global Justice's Off-World Approach project and multiple space startups while directing the Institute on Space Law and Ethics to amplify diverse perspectives in space exploration discourse.

Through the Center for Air and Space Law and For All Moonkind, she develops interdisciplinary frameworks for space resource utilization, CUAS systems, and sustainable commercial activities, positioning space law as critical infrastructure for humanity's transition into a multi-planetary species.