Marcus Holzinger explores how CU Boulder’s space‑law research could shape LEO regulations

Marcus Holzinger, holder of the Hatfield Endowed Professor in Space Policy & Law at the University of Colorado Boulder, said the university brings a nonpartisan, technical perspective to policy discussions, which is important for forming cogent space policy like how aircraft policy requires technical knowledge, and that he aims to involve more students in the field since the professorship began in June 2025.

Dan Baker, who formerly directed the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics for close to three decades, heads the Colorado Space Policy Center. Holzinger said he is excited because CU Boulder’s technical expertise can support policymakers through its graduates and knowledge.

The U.S. military is moving away from a few specialized satellites toward big, resilient LEO constellations to boost survivability against new threats. Commercial space innovations such as rapid manufacturing, commercial off‑the‑shelf components, and software‑defined systems are being integrated into defense space programs, enabling faster and more adaptable satellite development.

Over eighty percent of satellites now in orbit are commercial, and more than one hundred countries conduct space operations. SpaceX’s Starlink constellation includes thousands of satellites and the company launches rockets at a rate of 130 to 180 missions per year, with launch costs fallen from about $150 million per launch to tens of millions or less.

Increases in big satellite constellations and counterspace threats have produced a notable rise in tracked orbital objects; the United States monitors about 50,000 items, over 15,000 of which are satellites, and the total is climbing quickly. If stakeholders do not improve space domain awareness and do not clarify responsible behavior norms, orbital congestion, collision hazards, and debris accumulation will grow, endangering commercial and governmental space activities.

NASA selected the DAPHNE mission to study how space weather and atmospheric dynamics affect the space environment and improve prediction of impacts on GPS, low Earth orbit satellites, and astronauts, and the mission will use twin satellites to gauge neutral wind speeds, temperature levels, and chemical makeup within the thermosphere, the layer where Earth’s atmosphere becomes ionized plasma. Aimee Merkel, who works at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, leads the DAPHNE mission, which will undergo a confirmation review in 2027; if confirmed, its cost will not exceed $250 million in fiscal year 2023 dollars and launch would be no earlier than 2029.