European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA): this is the name of the new space agency created by the European Parliament and the Council with Regulation 696/2021 of 28 April. EUSPA is not an agency created ex novo. On the contrary, it represents the structured evolution of the European GNSS Agency (GSA) to which it fully succeeded. Unlike the GSA, EUSPA has the task of “governing” not only the satellite navigation programs of the European Union but also those of Earth observation and telecommunications. In general, EUSPA manages the Union’s space programs carried out so far by ..read more

On June 13, 2021, at the G7 summit in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, delegates from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States of America, the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU) pledged to combat the increasing amount of space debris crowding Earth’s orbits. This is a powerful political stance, as international attention was given to a phenomenon that is becoming more and more real and could potentially jeopardize current and future space programs. During the summit, the importance of following international guidelines governing the mitigation of this phenomenon was highlighted. I ..read more

To date, according to data and software for monitoring satellites in orbits developed by ESRI, there are more than fourteen thousand satellites in orbit, of which about seventy-eight percent are no longer functioning. Furthermore, as stated by ESA’s Space Debris Office regarding the number of estimated fragments, there are thirty-four thousand objects larger than ten centimeters, nine hundred thousand objects between one centimeter and ten centimeter, and almost one hundred and thirty million objects between one millimeter and one centimeter. The indicated objects can be either fragments or si ..read more

A lump sum contract is a construction agreement in which the contractor agrees to complete the project for a predetermined, set price. Under a lump sum agreement, also known as a stipulated-sum, the contractor submits a total project price instead of bidding on each individual item. Because of its simplicity, a lump sum contract is one of the five most common types of construction agreements. However, there are a number of factors to consider to ensure you choose the right contract for your project. Advantages of Lump Sum Construction Contract for the Owner It allows a limitation of the owner ..read more

The Conestoga was a rocket consisting originally of surplus Minuteman missile stages with additional strap-on boosters, as required, for larger payloads. It was the world’s first privately-funded commercial rocket, but was used only three times (one as a modified design) before the program was shut down due to a lack of business. History of the Conestoga rocket Conestoga was funded by Space Services Inc. of America (SSIA) in Houston, Texas. They had originally intended to use a design by Gary Hudson, Percheron, which was intended to dramatically lower the price of space launches. Key to the de ..read more

Since 1988, Africa has spent approx. USD$4 billion towards the launch of 41 satellites (excluding the cost of the RASCOM-QAF 1R replacement). 30 of these satellites fall into the Small Satellite market. The majority of satellites owned by African institutions typically involves satellites with less than 600kgs in fueled mass and 24 of these satellites have less than 200kg fueled mass. The reason for the interest in the miniaturized satellites? In a nutshell, they offer cheaper design alternatives, coupled with the ease of mass production. They are also significantly more versatile in certain a ..read more

This document aims to provide guidance to all South African space actors. All actors in private and public sectors in the space field. These orientations go through the support and promotion of scientific research, capacity building, innovation and industrial development. The purpose of this is to use the outer space for the purposes of economic growth, poverty reduction and the creation of growth for the country. This law seeks to strategically regulate all space activities in South Africa. All private or public entities that are part of the space sector are subject to it. The Minister of the ..read more

The plaintiffs, Orbital ATK and its subsidiary, Space Logistics LLC, have brought an action against the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and its acting director, Dr. Steven H. Walker (collectively defendants or DARPA), seeking to order DARPA’s program for Robotic Maintenance of Geosynchronous Satellites according to the theory that the program violates several provisions of the 2010 National Space Policy, a presidential policy directive, and therefore violates the so-called Administrative Procedure Act. DARPA has filed a motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction in the matter and for ..read more

For this new space law article on Space Legal Issues, let us have a look at the Danish Space Law. The Folketing, the unicameral parliament of Denmark, passed a national space law called the “Outer Space Act” on May 11, 2016, which was followed by a decree on the requirements for approval of activities in space. This is an important step in the international legal community. It should be remembered that the law of space activities is largely made up of international treaties and few countries make use of their own national space laws. Indeed, France with the law n° 2008-518 of June 3, 2008 was ..read more

Myanmar is preparing to launch its very first Earth observation satellite, as part of a space program bringing together nine Asian countries intended to better arm themselves in the face of natural or climatic disasters. The future Asian “super constellation” will be able to follow typhoons, seismic activity and ocean currents on the continent, and will also be able to provide information on the state of cultivated land or the progression of an epidemic. This is the first space adventure for the poorest country in a consortium that also includes the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Japan. I ..read more