Mexicans recognized at international Space Law competition

Law students Santiago Yarahúan, Omar Antonio Reyes, and Eduardo Alberto Reyes from Tecnológico de Monterrey’s Santa Fe campus have won awards for achieving the third-best cumulative score in the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition.

The Manfred Lachs Space Moot is a mock space law competition organized by the International Institute of Space Law.

“We took part in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic at the regional level of the competition. There are five regions worldwide, and in this case, we represented the Tec in the Latin American region.

“We got to third place with our cumulative score; 50 percent of this was the written part that we sent a month before the competition, which we were working on intensely for four months,” said Omar.

According to Omar, the other half comprised the oral arguments which took place in a mock trial before the international court of justice.

Delving into an unknown subject

Santiago said that achieving this recognition and representing the Tech was a great satisfaction.

“It wasn’t easy. We had to delve into a subject that none of the three of us knew about. Getting into a subject that is extremely new and doesn’t have complete regulations, which could lead us to different scenarios, was very challenging,” he said.

“It wasn’t easy. We had to delve into a subject that none of the three of us knew about.”

“What’s more, we submitted our petitions and did our oral argument practice independently, using the academic support that the Tec offered us throughout our preparation,” said Eduardo.

The cases that are debated in the competition are all futuristic and the Tec team focused on the hypothetical case of a space object that tried to grab another satellite by force, causing it to explode.

“As space is an incredibly dangerous environment, the explosion caused damage to an aircraft that was in flight and killed nine people on board. It was futuristic.

“It was very important for us to be able to consolidate our efforts, so getting the third-best cumulative score is proof that this institution has adequately prepared us for the rest of our careers,” said Santiago.

Santiago said that their studies at the Tec are what have allowed them to compete with different universities in the region such as the UNAM, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Brazil.

“This is clear proof that we are qualified to be tomorrow’s leaders in space law. It’s encouraging that the judges know you and see your talents and potential.

“It’s encouraging to network with the different participants, even the speakers and judges that, without a doubt, we’ll appreciate for the rest of our lives,” said Santiago.

“We’re qualified to be tomorrow’s leaders in space law.”

The team aims to continue learning about the subject and inspire others so that more people learn about the subject and participate as they have.

“I’m hoping to affiliate with the International Institute of Space Law to start publishing articles and contribute a little to the matter at an academic level. I want to continue with this team or maybe create another one that continues to represent the Tec,” said Omar.

Santiago shared his interest in being part of the International Institute of Space Law as he aims to promote and direct his career toward space law.

“It’s a topic that I would like to contribute to in the future because of its importance. It’s similar to other things that I do, such as disarmament and arms control, which in space is far from being restricted,” he said.

Finally, Eduardo said that he would also like to delve a little deeper into the matter, since he sees a great future for it.

“There are industries that are trying to increase space activity. There are a lot of opportunities to grow there and like my colleagues, I would like to continue studying and researching the subject.

“I want to keep in touch with the other members of the team, it has been a very rewarding experience for the three of us,” he concluded.

YOU’LL SURELY WANT TO READ THIS TOO: