Legal
Insurance Requirements
Mandatory third-party liability insurance coverage that space operators must maintain as a condition of authorization.
Insurance requirements ensure that space operators can cover damages arising from their activities, protecting both third parties and taxpayers from bearing losses.
Where the duty comes from Third-party liability cover is set by national space law, not by EU law. The EU Space Act proposal (COM(2025) 335) contains no operator insurance duty. Examples:
- France: insurance or another approved financial guarantee up to the amount fixed in the authorisation, within EUR 50-70 million (LOS Art. 6, 16-17; Loi n° 2008-1443 art. 119)
- Austria: EUR 60 million per claim, lower or waived in the public interest (Weltraumgesetz § 4(4))
- Luxembourg: risk cover by own funds, insurance or bank guarantee, no statutory amount (Law of 15 December 2020, Art. 6(4))
Coverage Scope The scope depends on the national law and the authorisation. Cover typically addresses:
- Third-party property damage
- Personal injury
- Launch phase
- In-orbit operations
- Re-entry phase
Risk Considerations Premium factors:
- Spacecraft value
- Orbital parameters
- Mission duration
- Operator track record
- Collision avoidance capability
Market Key space insurers:
- AXA XL
- Allianz
- Munich Re
- Swiss Re
- Lloyd's syndicates