The EU Space Act is coming, also limitations for Starlink

Cutting red tape , protecting space assets and creating a level and predictable playing field for companies: the European Commission presents the ' EU Space Act ', a set of measures to make the European space sector cleaner , safer and more competitive in Europe and in export markets. The initiative is structured around three pillars covering safety , resilience and sustainability . The new rules will apply to EU and national space assets, as well as to non-EU operators, such as Elon Musk's Starlink, offering services in Europe. Regulatory requirements will be tailored to the size and maturity of companies and assessed against the risks involved. Start-ups and SMEs will be able to benefit from support to mitigate potential costs for the sector, including capacity building, access to testing facilities and support for space operators in preparing authorisation applications. Overall, the European Space Act provides an EU-wide framework that will ensure safety , improve the tracking of space objects and limit the formation of new debris, including requirements for the safe disposal of satellites at the end of their operational life. There are 11,000 satellites in orbit today and 50,000 more are expected to be launched in the next decade , while over 128 million pieces of debris are already circulating in space, significantly increasing the risk of collisions that, in the worst case, would render key orbits unusable, disrupting access to vital satellite services. On resilience , the Commission will require all space operators to conduct thorough risk assessments throughout the lifecycle of a satellite, applying cybersecurity rules and space-specific incident reporting. This is in the context of growing threats from cyber-attacks and electronic jamming targeting satellites, ground stations and communication links. On the sustainability front, the 'EU Space Act' will establish common rules to measure and reduce environmental impact, ensuring consistent and verified data and encouraging innovation in areas such as in-space servicing, to extend the lifetime of satellites and reduce debris.