Steering Committee Chair

Charles Bird

Charles Bird is a lecturer at Charles University, Faculty of Law in Prague, Czech Republic, where he teaches Equity and Trusts, Criminal Law, and Legal English. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Charles University, having submitted his dissertation on the legal framework governing property and resource rights on celestial bodies.

His research focuses on international space law, particularly the interpretation of the Outer Space Treaty, commercial space activities, and the emerging legal regime for space resource utilization. He serves as Steering Committee Chair for the Celestial Governance Initiative which is currently conducting a gap analysis of the Outer Space Treaty, with a future objective of developing policy proposals for governance frameworks applicable to Mars and other extraterrestrial environments.

Charles earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, Kansas, United States, and his Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Kent in Canterbury, England. He is admitted to practice law in the United States State of Missouri and has authored several publications on international space law.

Founder, Programme Lead & Secretary of the Steering Committee

Benjamin C. Brümm

Benjamin C. Brümm is a governance and policy researcher based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, with a focus on institutional resilience, international law, and the governance of emerging technologies. He is currently completing a Bachelor of Applied Computer Science at Dalhousie University and a Diploma in Data Analytics at the Nova Scotia Community College Institute of Technology, building on a Bachelor of Kinesiology from Acadia University. His interdisciplinary background spans data engineering, AI governance, multilateral policy design, and operational security.

Benjamin serves as Founder, Programme Lead, and Secretary of the Steering Committee for the Celestial Governance Initiative (CGI), a research project operating under the Democracy and Federalism Hub (dfh.org.il) and the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC). At CGI, he leads the OST Gap Analysis Project (OST-GA-26) — a comprehensive legal review of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty — coordinating a multi-track research team through structured quarterly sprints and driving the Initiative’s long-term objective of developing governance frameworks applicable to Mars and other extraterrestrial environments, including a Provisional Charter for the Martian Federation aligned with UNOOSA principles.

In addition to his leadership at CGI, Benjamin serves as a member of the Committee on Space Security at the International Astronautical Federation, a member of the Space Law and Policy Project Group at SGAC, and a board member of the World Federalist Movement, where he contributes to research on IMF reform and democratic global governance. He also serves as a Policy and Ethics Analyst with ForHumanity, supporting independent AI audits and regulatory compliance under the EU AI Act framework, and as a Research and Policy contributor within the AIxSpace cohort at SGAC.

Benjamin has secured over $667,000 in research and innovation funding through NSERC and Mitacs grants, designed data ethics curriculum adopted at the post-secondary level in Nova Scotia, and contributed to policy advocacy that has informed legislative reform in Canada, the United States, and the European Union.

Vice Chair

Prranav (Ivar)

Prranav, also known as Ivar, is a fourth-year medical student currently serving as Vice Chair of the Celestial Governance Initiative. His interests span global health, policy, and geopolitics, with a focus on how systems of governance shape access, equity, and outcomes in complex and resource-constrained environments.

Researcher & UAE Jurisdictional Lead

Khanak Upadhyay

Khanak Upadhyay is a policy and research enthusiast with interests in governance, public policy, sustainability, and emerging global challenges. She actively engages in research and policy dialogue, contributing to discussions on evidence-based solutions and responsible governance. Khanak has participated in the World Bank Group Youth Summit and served as a Harvard delegate, engaging with global policy conversations and interdisciplinary research initiatives.

Researcher & Article XIII Lead

Amara Audrey Isikaku

Amara Audrey Isikaku is a student with a strong interest in space law, governance, and space technology systems. Her work involves analyzing the Outer Space Treaty alongside the technical systems that enable space activities. She joined the Celestial Governance Initiative to explore how law and technology intersect to shape equitable, sustainable, and collaborative space development.

Head of Economics and Resource Utilization

Asher Patel

Asher Patel is an undergraduate at Brown University studying applied mathematics-economics and international security. He serves as Head of Economics and Resource Utilization for the Celestial Governance Initiative, with an additional interest in international law compliance.