Full Name
Professor Melissa De Zwart
Position
Deputy Director, Professor
Organisation
ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space. Space Law and Governance, Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources, Adelaide University
Speaker Bio
Professor Melissa de Zwart, Deputy Director, ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space, and Professor, Space Law and Governance, Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources, Adelaide University
Melissa is the Deputy Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space and Professor, Space Law and Governance, Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources, at Adelaide University.
Melissa is a globally recognised expert in space law, working in the areas of commercial and military uses of outer space, encompassing both domestic and international space law. She has worked closely with the Australian space industry, including previously serving as Deputy Chair of the Space Industry Association of Australia, as well as on the successful bid team for the 2025 International Astronautical Congress.
She has published widely on all legal and regulatory aspects of the space environment and contributed extensively to reviews and reforms of the regulatory framework. Her work on the intersection of technology and law has been influential to regulatory reform and has been cited by the High Court of Australia and in several government reports, as well as in Parliamentary debates and legislative review.
Melissa served on the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Classification Review Board (2009-2014) and as a Legal Officer, Royal Australian Navy (Reserve) (2019-2025). Melissa is a Member of the International Institute of Space Law and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law.
Melissa is the Deputy Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space and Professor, Space Law and Governance, Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources, at Adelaide University.
Melissa is a globally recognised expert in space law, working in the areas of commercial and military uses of outer space, encompassing both domestic and international space law. She has worked closely with the Australian space industry, including previously serving as Deputy Chair of the Space Industry Association of Australia, as well as on the successful bid team for the 2025 International Astronautical Congress.
She has published widely on all legal and regulatory aspects of the space environment and contributed extensively to reviews and reforms of the regulatory framework. Her work on the intersection of technology and law has been influential to regulatory reform and has been cited by the High Court of Australia and in several government reports, as well as in Parliamentary debates and legislative review.
Melissa served on the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Classification Review Board (2009-2014) and as a Legal Officer, Royal Australian Navy (Reserve) (2019-2025). Melissa is a Member of the International Institute of Space Law and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law.
Speaking At
