Third Country Operator
A space operator established outside the EU; under the EU Space Act proposal (COM(2025) 335, Art. 5(19)) one that provides space services to Union operators or in relation to Union-owned assets, or acts as or serves a primary provider of space-based data.
Under the EU Space Act proposal (COM(2025) 335, not in force), a third-country space operator is a space operator established in a third country that provides space services to Union space operators or in relation to Union-owned assets, acts as a primary provider of space-based data, or provides services to such providers (Art. 5(19)).
Registration instead of authorisation It would need registration in the Union Register of Space Objects (URSO), decided by the Commission on a proposal of the Agency, and an e-certificate (Art. 14(1), 17, 25). A third-country operator launching from a Member State's territory is authorised by that State (Art. 7(7)).
Requirements
- Specified Title IV requirements that apply to Union operators — for spacecraft operators Art. 62, 66, 67, 69-73, 75-92 and 96-100 (Art. 15(1)) — with a separate route for operators from jurisdictions recognised as equivalent (Art. 16, 105)
- For spacecraft operators, a subscription to a collision avoidance provider (Art. 15(1))
- A legal representative in the Union (Art. 23)
- Derogations from Art. 15(2) for third-country launch operators, decided by the Commission on a Member State's request or, for Union-owned assets, on its own initiative, where the cumulative public-interest conditions are met: no readily available substitute or realistic alternative in the Union, and promotion of technological capabilities of strategic importance (Art. 19(1)-(2))
The proposal contains no insurance requirement for third-country operators.
Key Considerations
- Export control compliance
- Technology transfer restrictions