Space and Satellite Law
The UK space economy is a substantial and rapidly evolving sector, generating £18.6 billion in income and employing more than 50,000 people. Space and satellite services underpin an estimated 18% of GDP by enabling sectors such as agriculture and transport. Advances in satellite design, coupled with falling launch costs, have dramatically expanded the opportunities available for ambitious businesses.
This growth is accompanied by an increasingly complex legal environment: authorisations under the Space Industry Act, the proposed European Space Act, spectrum licensing and coordination, remote sensing controls, export controls and sanctions, national security screening, evolving liability and insurance rules, and heightened focus on sustainability and debris mitigation. We help public and private sector clients turn this complexity into tangible outcomes, providing a competitive advantage for businesses and improved policy and service delivery for public bodies.
What we do
We advise across the full space value chain combining deep regulatory expertise with transactional, disputes and public law capability. Our team understands the regulatory ecosystem (including UK Space Agency and CAA spaceflight regulation, Ofcom spectrum licensing and ITU coordination, public procurement, ICO and data controls), and how policy and standards are shifting in the UK, Europe and globally. Our highly experienced public law team includes specialist legislative drafters with several Roll A Parliamentary Agents, drawing on deep cross‑sector expertise and parliamentary know‑how to interpret complex policy and develop a workable approach to new legislation.
The policy landscape
Governments are increasingly recognising the significant influence that they can have on steering the space sector’s development:
The UK government has affirmed its commitment to expanding the space economy and increasing its support for European Space Agency programmes, and the Space Industry (Indemnities) Bill is expected to provide greater confidence for investors in the space economy by eliminating concerns over unlimited liability. Across Europe and beyond, sustainability requirements, space traffic management, responsible end‑of‑life and de‑orbiting plans, and cybersecurity expectations for space systems are tightening.
How we can help
We track legal and policy developments and translate them into clear, commercial advice that enables you to move quickly, from first concept through licensing and financing to launch, operations, and exit.
Our lawyers draw upon extensive expertise across legal areas that matter most to space sector clients: space regulatory and licensing, spectrum and telecommunications, export controls and sanctions, government contracts and public procurement, insurance and liability, corporate, finance and investment, intellectual property, data protection and cybersecurity, dispute resolution and arbitration, marine, public and administrative law and policy, environmental and space sustainability, and infrastructure and PPPs.
We offer a full service for public and private sector clients at all stages in their space journey, from dynamic start-ups to mature operators and government bodies, providing direct advice that enables you to act swiftly and make more informed decisions. Whether you are planning a novel mission profile, scaling a constellation, entering into a strategic partnership, or preparing for investment or exit, we can help you map the regulatory options, structure risk efficiently, and deliver with speed and confidence.