• EU centralised level: the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) will play a central role, dealing with technical assessments and managing the Union Registry of Space Objects (URSO); the European Commission will have decision-making and sanctioning powers (although both these bodies will share extensive investigation powers, including in relation to non-EU operators).
• National level: Member States will designate national competent authorities (NCAs) with supervisory and inspection powers over operators based in their territory (provided that they do not manage Union-owned assets).

Market access: a three-track system

The text establishes a three-track system for market access: 

• A centralised EU authorisation for Union-based operators managing or operating Union-owned assets;
• A centralised registration procedure for third-country operators and international organisations;
• A national authorisation for the majority of Union-based operators.

In this regard, it should be briefly noted that there are some inconsistencies in these procedures (for example, it is not clear what the actual subject of the authorisation is, whether it is a space activity, a mission or a space object) and shortcomings (for example, it is not clearly specified whether the application for centralised authorisation should be addressed to the European Commission or the Agency), but it is reasonable to expect that these will be resolved in the next institutional steps.

Anyway, simplified procedures are foreseen for satellite constellations, SMEs, and research and education missions.

Once the authorization (at the EU or national level) or the registration has been granted, the Agency will register the operator in the Union Registry of Space Objects (URSO) – a name that may be somewhat misleading, since the registration applies to operators who manage space infrastructure as part of a space mission rather than to space objects per se – and will issue an ‘electronic certificate’ (or e-certificate), which will be indispensable for the legal provision of space services and space-based data in the EU single market.

Technical standards and safety

From a technical standpoint, the text describes the strict safety requirements covering the entire lifecycle of spacecraft and launch vehicles, including tracking systems, manoeuvrability requirements, rules for orbital traffic, provisions to avoid and mitigate the risk of collisions, detailed plans for the reduction of space debris generation (Space Debris Mitigation Plan) and for the limitation of light and radio pollution (Light and Radio Pollution Limitation Plan) and, finally, obligations for the disposal of space objects at end-of-life (for example, for those operating in geostationary orbits, through their relocation to the so-called ‘graveyard orbits’).

In parallel, rules on physical and digital security are introduced, mandating continuous risk management against threats (including cyber-attacks), crisis response plans and reporting of significant incidents, integrating with directives such as NIS2 and CER. These obligations apply, with some exemptions and adaptations, also to third-country operators operating in the EU.

Sustainability and innovation

The EU Space Act places great emphasis on environmental sustainability both in space and on Earth, by introducing the obligation to calculate the Environmental Footprint of space activities, through studies certified by qualified technical bodies (QTBs), with exemptions for SMEs and educational institutions.

The proposed Regulation also looks to the future, outlining the regulatory framework for the “in-space economy”: from 1 January 2034, specific rules will be operative for In-space Operations and Services (ISOS), such as on-orbit refuelling or repair or Active Debris Removal, which will require standardised interfaces and specific contracts between a servicer and a client spacecraft.

Finally, the text promotes mandatory harmonised standards alongside ‘Union Space Label Schemes’ to reward excellent practices that go beyond what is strictly required by regulatory provisions on safety, resilience and sustainability.