Space and Satellite wrap up - Legal and regulatory developments in 2025

In 2025, the space and satellite industry continued its rapid evolution, marked by record-breaking launch activity, major commercial breakthroughs, and scientific milestones. The year saw the highest number of orbital launches to date, signalling intensified competition in broadband constellations. On the science front, NASA’s Perseverance rover continued its analysis of Mars’ geology, identifying organic compounds that may inform future biosignature research, and new satellite-based methods for methane monitoring were progressed to support global climate goals. 

As orbital congestion intensifies and new technologies emerge, governments worldwide have responded with new frameworks and strategies addressing the sector's most pressing challenges. Several themes have run through this year's developments, including a strong focus on direct-to-device (D2D) frameworks, emerging space traffic management (STM) approaches to tackle orbital sustainability, and an increased focussed on enhanced space security measures. These developments reflect both the maturation of the industry and its legal and regulatory frameworks, as well as growing recognition that effective space governance requires coordinated international action.

This article provides a wrap-up of some of the key legal and regulatory developments that caught our eye across the space and satellite industry in 2025, including in relation to:

• national frameworks and strategies, with a focus on commercial investment and emerging technology regulation;
• spectrum management, particularly for D2D technologies; and
• international partnerships and space diplomacy, including bilateral agreements and multilateral cooperation.

National regulatory frameworks and strategies

2025 has seen significant legal, regulatory and policy developments across the space and satellite sector. These have ranged from policy advancements addressing existing and emerging challenges to more formal regulatory developments. Several countries have enacted comprehensive legislation for the first time, establishing their national space regimes, whilst others have introduced more comprehensive frameworks or implemented measures to streamline existing regulatory processes.

• Australia – introduced a second tranche of reforms to its Space (Launches and Returns) Act 2018, aimed at streamlining regulatory processes while maintaining mission safety. Key changes include removing the three-stage application requirement for launch facility licences, clarifying the definition of "accident", reducing the launch safety notification period from 30 to 20 days, and enhancing clarity on ministerial approval for suitably qualified experts.
• EU - released a draft of the EU Space Act, a significant step in its process towards adopting a comprehensive space law, which was initially announced in 2022. The proposed legislation covers STM, protection of critical space infrastructure, and common standards for licensing and supervision. The aim of the legislation is to work towards regulatory coherence across the EU, reducing fragmentation and providing greater legal certainty for operators conducting activities across multiple Member States. The Act intends to complement existing national frameworks whilst establishing minimum standards and coordination mechanisms at European level.
• Italy - adopted a new unified and comprehensive national space law. The new law introduces a formal licensing regime, establishes liability and insurance requirements, and incorporates sustainability obligations aimed at reducing space debris.
• Japan - adopted a new Basic Policy that prioritizes public-private collaboration, funding for startups through a Space Strategy Fund, and initiatives for satellite constellations, next-generation technologies, and lunar exploration under NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration program. The government also announced plans to amend the 2016 Space Activities Act to regulate emerging areas such as suborbital flights, reusable launch systems, and human spaceflight, with legislative proposals expected in early 2026. Additionally, Japan introduced its first Space Domain Defense Guidelines, emphasising satellite protection and countermeasures against anti-satellite threats, signalling a stronger integration of space into national security strategy.
• New Zealand - updated its space legislation to regulate ground-based space infrastructure, expanding its regulatory framework beyond launch and in-orbit activities. The updated legislation introduces an authorisation regime for ground stations, tracking facilities, and other terrestrial infrastructure, with particular focus on national security.
• South Korea - announced a new long-term national space exploration roadmap, covering exploration plans in Earth orbit, moon, heliosphere and deep space, and five core missions, including low-Earth orbit and microgravity exploration, lunar exploration, and solar and space science missions. The roadmap includes plans to establish a lunar base by 2045.
• UK - the cross-party House of Lords UK Engagement with Space Committee published a report reviewing the UK’s position in the space market and providing recommendations to inform government policy with the aim of strengthening the UK’s leadership in the sector. This sits alongside the broader review that the UK is undertaking in relation to its space regulation, which has continued over the course of the year, spurred on by the government’s commitment to reduce the costs of regulation by 25% as part of its Regulation Action Plan.
• US - pursued multiple regulatory reform initiatives to streamline and expedite its federal space regulatory processes, including a comprehensive review of its launch and re-entry licensing regulations and proposals to modernise the commercial space regulatory framework and reduce administrative burdens. Further, the US Senate introduced the Orbital Sustainability (ORBITS) Act of 2025, which would establish a programme for active orbital debris remediation and require uniform debris standard practices across US government and non-government operators.”

Spectrum management

Spectrum management has remained a critical priority in 2025, with regulators grappling with challenges posed emerging technologies like D2D services and the need for international harmonisation, as well as homing in on opportunities to open up more spectrum to support market demand.

• China - issued guidelines to support D2D services, encouraging partnerships between telecoms and satellite firms, and commercial trials for IoT services. China also granted an approval for operating satellite mobile services.
• UK - published new rules for D2D services in mobile bands, creating a new handset exemption for end user devices and allowing MNO operators to apply for licence variations to permit D2D services under certain technical conditions.
• US - the FCC has advanced spectrum reforms for satellite services, including commencing proceedings to consider opening approximately 20,000 MHz of spectrum for satellite use, expanding available spectrum resources for satellite operators. The FCC has also progressed spectrum sharing reforms and granted approvals for D2D services. The US also released an executive order on space policy affirming it’s 2028 moon landing goal and outlining plans to develop lunar nuclear technology and attract additional investment in US space markets.
• 2GHz reviews - with the incumbent MSS licences in the EU set to expire in 2027, many countries have been reviewing the future use of the 2GHz band. The EU, UK, Australia and the United States all opened consultations on the band over the course of 2025, with strong indications that regulators may look to expand access to the band to support the growing demand for MSS spectrum. 

International partnerships and space governance

Throughout 2025, international engagement in space and satellite policy has taken place at multiple levels - ranging from high-level, broad multilateral initiatives involving regional and global cooperation, to more targeted bilateral agreements aimed at advancing specific technical and strategic objectives.

• Africa–EU Space Partnership Programme - was launched to strengthen collaboration in relation to space technologies, services and applications. The program aims to draw on EU Space technologies to support development priorities and stimulate investment in Africa’s space sector. This follows the inauguration of the African Space Agency earlier in 2025, which will be the primary entity coordinating Africa’s space cooperation with Europe and other international partners.
• APSCO–Intersputnik cooperation - a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) and the Intersputnik International Organization of Space Communications. The agreement seeks to enhance international cooperation and build capacity in the member countries of both organisations in the field of space activities, including in the context of satellite projects in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Artemis Accords - The Artemis Accords continued to expand in 2025, with Finland, Bangladesh, Norway, Senegal, Hungary, Malaysia, the Philippines and Latvia joining as signatories. This brings total signatories to 60. The Accords are a US-led set of principles to guide space exploration and cooperation, covering peaceful purposes, transparency, interoperability, emergency assistance, registration of space objects, release of scientific data, protecting heritage sites, space resource utilisation, deconfliction of activities, and orbital debris mitigation.
• Cologne Manual - developed as an international research project led by the University of Cologne, the Cologne Manual provides guidelines on coordination mechanisms for STM, space situational awareness, cybersecurity for space systems, and measures to ensure long-term orbital usability. Whilst not legally binding, the Manual contributes to developing international norms and best practices for STM. It aims to address gaps in the existing international legal framework and provides practical guidance for states and operators.
• Combined Space Operations (CSpO) initiative - published a joint statement following its annual board meeting, reiterating its goals of protecting and defending against intensifying space threats by continuing to build interoperable, agile and resilient architectures.
• Nordic regional cooperation - Ministers from Nordic countries made a joint declaration to strengthen regional cooperation on space matters. This initiative aims to enhance innovation, security, environmental sustainability, and competitiveness across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, including by committing to establish a roundtable to coordinate space-related collaboration.
• United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) - a coalition of 21 COPUOS member states submitted a proposal to establish a COPUOS subcommittee study group on the legal and policy aspects of STM. The group, to be formally convened during COPUOS’s 68th session, will explore national and regional STM frameworks, best practices, and regulatory coordination to support implementation of the Long-term Sustainability Guidelines. Legal mechanisms for space debris mitigation and remediation were also a key topic for the COPUOS Legal Subcommittee. Additionally, COPUOS’s Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities circulated an initial draft set of recommended principles for space resource activities in March 2025, including preambles emphasising responsible use, peaceful purposes, sustainability, cooperation, and equitable benefit-sharing.

Bilateral space cooperation

 A range of bilateral agreements and cooperative initiatives were progressed, including as follows:

• China and the US engaged in coordination to prevent a potential satellite collision, this is the first known instance of operational STM coordination between the two nations and may provide a foundation for future coordination mechanisms.
• ESA and the Korea announced enhanced cooperation on peaceful uses of space, including arrangement for ground station sharing and space weather monitoring, facilitating mutual access to ground infrastructure and collaborative research on solar activity impacts.
• France and India held policy discussions to increase cooperation across defence, civilian nuclear energy, and space. The countries also signed a technical agreement to deepen collaboration in defence and research development, including cooperation in space, propulsion, and advanced sensors.
• The UAE and Saudi Arabia have partnered for a joint satellite launch to enhance both countries’ capabilities in space observation, data collection, and communication, with overarching aims of growing regional collaboration in aerospace technology.
• The UK and Japan strengthened collaboration in space, focusing on Earth observation, with the UK Space Agency serving as the 2025 Chair of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which has served as CEOS Strategic Implementation Team Chair since 2023, both aligning efforts to accelerate progress across key initiatives to enhance the use and impact of Earth observation data.
• The US and Italy signed an agreement between the US Space Force and the Italian Air Force to expand space security cooperation, including joint security operations and operational coordination.

Our international team has commercial and regulatory expertise in the space and satellite sector and has been involved in monitoring these developments. We monitor updates across the sector regularly and provide information to relevant contacts. Please reach out if this is of interest.