Estonia preparing to pass the country's first space law
The law is needed because, in addition to existing research projects, companies are also planning to send satellites into orbit.
Until now, space activities in Estonia have not been regulated by a single law. Gloria Kõgel, a space sector expert at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, said the field has so far been a gray area.
"At the same time, Estonia is a party to an international space treaty, more specifically the UN Outer Space Treaty, and the state is required to ensure that space activities carried out under its jurisdiction are subject to appropriate authorization and supervision. For the first time, the new law will establish clear rules on how space activities are authorized in Estonia, how space objects are registered, how risks are assessed and how liability and supervision are handled," Kõgel said.
So far, Estonia's space activities have mainly consisted of satellite projects by universities and students. However, four commercial satellite missions are also expected to reach orbit in the coming years. As things stand, Estonia's first commercial satellite is scheduled to be launched into orbit in 2028.
"In recent years, the space sector has increasingly been shifting from research toward commercial or business activities, including in Estonia. As a result, demand is growing, and as space activities become more commercial, appropriate regulation is also needed to establish the rules," Kõgel said.
Operating in the space sector is risky, however. The draft law therefore requires companies to have insurance to cover potential damages. The insurance must provide coverage of up to €60 million.
"This is the upper limit for liability insurance, which helps cover potential damages if a space object causes harm to third parties, such as a private individual in another country or another state. Because space activities are a very high-risk field and, under international law, the state may be held liable for such damages, it is important for the operator to have sufficient insurance coverage," Kõgel said.
However, not all projects will be subject to exactly the same conditions and rules.
"These requirements are designed to be risk-based. There will also be exemptions for lower-risk activities and research and development projects, meaning that certain requirements can be reduced or waived altogether," she said.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Aleksander Krjukov
