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Dr Thomas Cheney

A Bit About Me

I have long been interested in outer space - massive science fiction fan and interested in everything and anything space - got Apollo 13 out of the library so often my parents eventually bought me a copy! But serious interest was sparked by John Lewis' Mining the Sky in middle school, but my academic interested always gravitated towards the humanities rather than STEM so upon returning to the UK after 10 years in the US I did a degree in history. Fortunately, I discovered space law was a thing and undertook a PhD with Professor Chris Newman. My work today examines those same topics that sparked my interest over 20 years ago but with a more critical eye - trying to reconcile my enthusiasm for a human future in outer space and my understanding of the realities of colonialism, imperialism, and the unfolding climate crises.

Academic Employment

 2023 - 

University of Northumbria (Newcastle, UK)

Vice Chancellors Research Fellow in Law (Assistant Professor)

School of Law

 2019 - 2023 

The Open University (Milton Keynes, UK)

Lecturer in Space Governance

AstrobiologyOU & the School of Law

Non-Academic Roles

2023 -

2017 - 2022

2016 - 2020

Breaking Ground Trust

International Diplomacy Seat

Centre for a Spacefaring Civilization

Executive Director

Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC)

Space Law and Policy Project Group Co-lead

Education

2020

University of Northumbria (Newcastle, UK)

PhD – Space Law and Policy Sovereignty and Property Rights in Outer Space: Asteroid Mining, the Outer Space Treaty and National Legislation; defended March 2020, awarded April 2020.

2012

University of Newcastle (Newcastle, UK)

BA History

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