“Within SGAC I quickly found a very supportive community of people who encouraged me and pointed me in the right direction of additional resourcesーreading that I could do to learn more about the subjectーand everything has kind of just flowed from there.”

David Eagleson has been involved with SGAC for half a decade. He is currently the Space Law and Policy (SLP) Group Co-Lead, having worked up the ranks from event coordinator and research positions.

 

David’s career path has been exceptionally straightforward in comparison to other profiles I’ve written. I think it offers a different perspective that may reassure those who are still on the same track that they started on. David exudes assurance about his journey, as well as contentment with his day-to-day work.

David’s interest in the field developed after listening in on a sample lecture about space law as a teenager. He did some digging online and discovered SGAC.

“Within SGAC I quickly found a very supportive community of people who encouraged me and pointed me in the right direction with additional resources and reading that I could do to learn more about the subject. Everything has flowed from there.”

In England, law degrees can be pursued straight out of high school. David would go on to complete his BA with Honours in Law at Cambridge University, writing his dissertation on the Outer Space Treaty’s declaration that space is the ‘‘province of all mankind”. During his degree, there were no formal space law courses or teaching, so he opted for a dissertation option with the express motive of engaging with space law topics. 

“At that time, I was gaining much space law knowledge through SGAC’s Space Law and Policy Group,” He tells me. “Space law really provides the opportunity to apply law to the cutting edge of technology.”

A few years later, his SGAC team encouraged him to present at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC), one of his first opportunities to showcase his work at an international conference. 

“This was a really critical moment in terms of building my confidence within the space law community, and provided me with an opportunity to engage with so many academics and professionals whom I had looked up to for many years.”

The IAC experience further opened doors to expand both his social and professional networks.

Following his schooling at Cambridge, David began an Advanced LLM in Air and Space Law at Leiden University, graduating cum laude. He was happy to expand his network and meet like-minded individuals who shared his passion for law, science, and technology.

“What ultimately kept me within the space law community was the fact that everyone was so friendly and supportive.” 

David shares that his connections and colleagues were always available to provide additional resources or mentorship. The best career advice he ever received was to “always follow your heart and follow your passion.” He says. “I know a lot of people say it but I do believe it’s true.”

Along the way, David has held a Prospero Fellowship, as well as internships at Astroscale. In 2024, he was awarded the Diederiks-Verschoor Award from the International Institute of Space Law. 

“I didn’t take a gap year but I wouldn’t have wanted to take a gap year,” David tells me. I couldn’t help but wonder, as this interview found me smack in the middle of my own academic pause, if people took gap years because they weren’t on the right track. I covered my existential conundrum with a nervous laugh as he went on:  “I don’t have any regrets at the moment and I hope I never will.”

They do say that the ‘right’ choice is always in the last place you look. So maybe David’s first place is indeed his last one. High school sweethearts get married all the time, don’t they?

David is now completing his PhD in space law with a full scholarship at Northumbria University. His research focus is on jurisdiction over space debris. As an SLP Co-Lead, David wants to use his position to give back, and ensure that the community is in a good place to propel young career professionals forwardーmuch in the same way that he was supported when he was just starting out.

Want to nominate a colleague for the next SLP Highlight? You can do so completely anonymously by filling out this google form: https://forms.gle/Qj4vrLbCfQf3MJXDA.

This post was written by Mackenzie Pereira, SLP Professional Development team member.