Chris Brown, Esq.
Project Dark Forest https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisdbrown1/
About The Lecturer
I am a space lawyer and futurist. I’ve always been fascinated by physical cosmology, astrobiology, and the philosophical underpinnings that drive what we understand (and don’t) about both. I am dedicated to the democratization of access to space, and to the establishment of robust STEM education and STEM opportunities for women, disenfranchised youth, and young adults.
During law school I was a researcher for the space law project group of the Space Generation Advisory Council and worked to investigate and address current issues in international and national space law and anticipate likely space law issues in the coming decades. In my private practice, I worked for a private aerospace firm that supported high altitude surveillance missions for the Department of Defense.
After my transition to Virgin Orbit, it was my role to negotiate the launch service agreements for the sale of capacity on LauncherOne for our commercial customers and with Virgin Orbit National Systems for their government customers. I also supported discussions with public entities such as the FAA, the CAA, and international entities for launch licensing obligations, and assisted with the interpretation of the Outer Space Treaty, Liability Convention, and Commercial Space Launch Act, to ensure all parties understand financial responsibility and cross-waiver requirements for launch services.
I had the privilege to negotiate all of the customer missions for Virgin Orbit’s July 2022 Above the Clouds campaign, and for its January 2023 Start Me Up campaign out of Spaceport Cornwall. For the UK launch I supported negotiations between the United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal and Spain to acquire range control licenses for the campaign. Additionally, I worked with Cornwall Council to ensure completion of responsibilities mandated by the commercial agreement which supported the development of Newquay airport into a spaceport, and with the United Kingdom Space Agency for grant deliverables leading to the launch mission.
At Virgin Galactic, my role was to provide oversight of the company’s regulatory obligations and ensure compliance with the Commercial Space Launch Act, the Federal Acquisition Regulations, and export control regulations. I supported enterprise-wide coordination with regulatory bodies including the Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Communications Commission, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Additionally, I provided guidance and support for the contractual obligations of the company’s commercial astronaut program, and the enterprise’s Environmental, Social, and Governance strategy and public disclosures.
I am admitted to practice in California and Florida, and earned my law degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, after serving in the United States Army as a military policeman, and undergraduate studies in Southeast Asia, Iceland, Denmark, and Oxford, England.
Practice Area(s)
Science & Technology
Education
B.A., University of Tampa
J.D., University of California, Berkeley - School of Law
