Solving ground-level problems from 500km up: the rise of Africa’s space economy
Africa’s space economy is rapidly evolving from state-led initiatives into a dynamic ecosystem driven by private companies, startups and continental coordination under the African Space Agency. Leveraging satellite technologies for agriculture, climate resilience, connectivity and disaster management, the sector is reshaping development priorities and positioning Africa as both a consumer and creator in the global space market.
Released on Jul 21, 2026
Latin America’s growing footprint in space governance – from international commitments to the unfinished task of building domestic regulatory frameworks
Latin American countries have rapidly embraced international space commitments, in fact, eight South American nations have now signed the Artemis Accords, and several have recently acceded to key UN space treaties. However, the region still largely lacks the domestic legal frameworks needed to regulate commercial space activities, attract private investment and fulfil treaty obligations. This article surveys the current state of space law across the region, highlights key developments and gaps and argues that bridging this regulatory deficit is the most urgent task ahead.
Released on Jul 17, 2026
Key points investors should know about foreign investment protection in the space sector
Foreign direct investment in the space sector is increasing but is exposed to growing political risk. Consequently, foreign investors in the space sector should be aware of the protection international investment agreements can offer, how to structure their investments to ensure they are covered by the protection that these treaties can provide and how investment contracts can provide alternative or supplementary protection.
Released on Jul 15, 2026
A new phase in Japanese space law and emerging technology regulation: the soft law approach in domestic regulation
This article examines Japan’s evolving regulation of emerging technologies through the recent amendment process of the Space Activities Act. While broader hard-law reform was initially envisioned, Japan finally chose a more pragmatic soft-law approach in the 2026 amendment, reserving legislation for immediately necessary issues such as permission requirements for rocket launches with dummy payloads, while addressing other matters through guidelines and manuals. Comparing this development with Japan’s AI regulatory framework, such trend suggests that the soft-law approach offers a flexible and realistic model for governing technologies whose future development is difficult to foresee.
Released on Jul 15, 2026
EU Space Act: council negotiations highlight growing de-bate on the scope of harmonisation
As negotiations on the proposed European Union Space Act continue, the debate within the Council has increasingly shifted from the technical design of individual obligations to a broader question: how far should European harmonisation in space regulation extend? Examining the compromise texts issued by the Danish and Cy-prus Presidencies, this article highlights the key developments in the legislative pro-cess and explores how Member States are seeking to balance the objectives of a common European framework with the preservation of national regulatory autono-my.
Released on Jul 15, 2026
Overview of the proposed amendments to Japan’s Space Activities Act and beyond
Japan has enacted a major overhaul of its Space Activities Act to accommodate the rapid diversification of space activities driven by private-sector innovation. This article examines the key amendments, including the expansion of the licensing regime from satellite launches to all space rocket launches, the introduction of a pre-loading conformity certification system and the extension of the third-party damage compensation framework, and considers the implications for international space industry participants.
Released on Jul 15, 2026
Amendments to Japan’s Space Activities Act and consideration concerning the license system for spaceports
As of May 2026, draft amendments to Japan’s Space Activities Act and related laws (the ‘Amendment Bill’) are under consideration in the National Diet of Japan. This article provides an overview of the Amendment Bill and introduces discussions concerning the licence system applicable to spaceports that took place in the course of this amendment process.
Released on Jul 15, 2026
Positioning Switzerland as a space law hub: Switzerland's draft Space Act in the orbit of the draft EU Space Act
This article examines Switzerland’s Draft Federal Space Operations Act, which establishes the country’s first national legal framework for space operations – covering licensing, supervision, liability, registration and conflict of laws – and assesses its key provisions in a comparative perspective with the proposed EU Space Act, highlighting Switzerland’s strategy to position itself as a competitive hub for space activities.
Released on Jul 15, 2026
In orbit: the legal implications of data centres in space
This article highlights challenges for advisers as in-orbit data centres move data processing from terrestrial facilities to satellites, exposing gaps in space, data, cybersecurity and liability rules.
Released on Jul 15, 2026
Pharmacy in space: mapping the EU legal landscape
As pharmaceutical research and manufacturing increasingly move into low Earth orbit (LEO), existing legal frameworks—designed for terrestrial, inspectable activities—face unprecedented challenges. This article maps the applicable law in low earth orbit, examines how EU regulations on clinical trials, GMPs, GCPs, pharmacovigilance, product liability, intellectual property and AI governance interact with international space law. It also assesses emerging responses including the UK’s 2026 space regulatory roadmap and the proposed European Union Space Act, concluding that targeted functional adaptations, rather than autonomous space health law, would offer the most pragmatic path forward to support health and space stakeholders’ research, development & innovation and help the market grow for a better prevention and treatment of diseases.
Released on Jul 15, 2026
India’s space start-up revolution: how national space policy is paving the way for innovation and growth
India’s space start-up ecosystem has witnessed remarkable growth over the past decade, with the number of space startups increasing from a mere one in 2014 to 189 in 2023, according to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade’s Startup India portal. The surge in interest is evident, with Indian space startups attracting US$124.7m worth of investments in 2023 alone. This dynamic growth has been significantly influenced by the national Space Policy 2023, which provides a structured framework for the registration and regulation of space objects.
Released on Dec 11, 2024
The emerging space-related private sector in Japan and the legal framework: background and recent updates on space policy
Japan has made significant progress in carving out a place for itself within space business, accelerated by the new initiatives undertaken by the government regarding its space policy. This has entailed recent (and upcoming) updates to the relevant legal framework in order to prepare Japanese actors for participation in new types of space-related activities, including on-orbit services, moon exploration and sub-orbital flights
Released on Dec 11, 2024
Times of change for European space institutions: competing responsibilities and adjustment of the European Space Agency’s geographical return
An introduction to the activities of the ESA and EUSPA as Europe’s two main space institutions and the critical discussions taking place in Europe regarding the competing fields of activity and the main principles of these institutions
Released on Dec 11, 2024
Modernising space liability: comparative analysis of the UN Space Liability Convention and Indian government policy
A comparative analysis of the UN Space Liability Convention and Indian Space Policy, in light of the increasing involvement of private companies in the Indian space sector.
Released on Dec 11, 2024
Ghana’s space policy: the first local jigsaw piece to fit into the global space puzzle
Ghana’s space policy seeks to create an optimal environment for space activities by focusing on building essential infrastructure, developing human capacity and advancing commercialisation, while promoting international cooperation and job creation. This strategic approach aims to harness space science and technology in order to address national challenges and drive sustainable development
Released on Dec 11, 2024
Portugal’s trajectory towards an exclusive club of space forward European nations
This article provides insights into the main characteristics and recent developments that will enable Portugal to become a key player in the global outer space economy and enhance Europe’s role in this context.
Released on Dec 11, 2024
Spain – getting ready for the next steps in space exploration
This article analyses Spain's progress in developing a strategy for competitiveness in aerospace matters, such as the creation of a National Space Agency to represent Spain before the international community, the speed and urgency in the incorporation procedure of the Agency, drawing up its by-laws, as well as the drafting of a Law on Outer Space Activities, along the lines of its neighboring countries. We also describe the first steps taken by the Spanish Space Agency, including the adhesion to the Artemis Accords, and the main space initiatives carried out by the private space sector in Spain.
Released on Sep 14, 2023
Developing space law: Luxembourg’s regulatory framework model
In the field of international space law, where none of the United Nations’ space treaties create direct obligations for non-governmental entities, it is the responsibility of states to ensure that all national activities comply with the provisions of international law. Luxembourg's space legal framework is one of the most recent among countries actively involved in space policy.
Released on Sep 14, 2023
A brief outlook on the announced comprehensive national law regulating space activities in Italy
Italy – despite being counted among the countries with the largest presence in space, with a competitive entrepreneurial ecosystem – does not yet have a comprehensive law to regulate national space activities, unlike other European countries.
Released on Sep 14, 2023
Brazil’s path towards a space-friendly regulation: advances on insurance for space launches on Brazilian territory
In the wake of new provisions for space activities in the Brazilian legal framework, national authorities enacted a third part of the Brazilian Space Regulation focused on insurance requirements for private companies that seek to promote space launch or re-entry activities from the Brazilian territory. This article aims to explore some of the features and conditions established by the Brazilian regulation amidst the expectations that it will further contribute to the development of the Brazilian space sector.
Released on Jan 23, 2023
Disputes over space mining on the horizon?
In November 2022, the Japanese Government authorised the private company iSpace to conduct commercial activities on the moon, including the extraction of regolith and its subsequent sale for profit to the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Released on Jan 18, 2023
Changing landscape of satellite communication laws in India
The Indian satellite communications sector is at a turning point in the wake of various developments set to eliminate the regulatory hurdles faced by the industry so far. In this article, we briefly discuss the various issues that have historically plagued the sector and the proposed measures adopted by the Indian government to address them.
Released on Dec 19, 2022
Brazilian liftoff: new space regulation and its impact on licensing and launching in Brazil
This article describes recent changes to the Brazilian normative framework regarding the development of space activities in the country, especially concerning legal standards on the operator’s licensing process and the launch authorisation in Brazilian territory.
Released on Dec 13, 2021
Aerospace exploration in Brazil: the Alcântara Space Center
This article explores recent measures adopted by Brazil to promote aerospace exploration through its launch base located in Alcântara. It also highlights the importance of the executed agreements to the development of Brazil’s air space programme.
Following the technology: questions relevant to the future regulation of space activities
The development of space-related technology has given rise to many new and exciting possibilities. It also raises a number of significant challenges for the ongoing governance of the exploration and use of outer space and, in particular, humankind’s interaction with, and dependency on space-related technology. This article highlights some of the major challenges and sets out important questions that must be considered in developing appropriate legal, regulatory and policy frameworks for future space activi