The development of space as a sovereign domain is expanding. Although space is inherently international, balancing the needs for both security and collaboration can sometimes make it difficult for multi-national players to work together. International regulation is one step on the path towards making space safe and sustainable for everyone.
While those who call for increased regulation argue that it would make collaboration easier for everyone, detractors express fear that regulation will eliminate the unhindered creativity and innovation that has been a point of pride for the space industry.
When Space Becomes a Sovereign Domain
Nearly 80 countries have established government space agencies. As the space industry has become more integral to other technological systems, such as telecommunications, the question of sovereignty in space has also become more pressing. In the next few years, governments across the world may feel pressure to build their own constellations in order to protect their assets and capabilities, including for critical systems like communications and defense.
Taiwan, for example, has reacted to increased pressure from China by further investing in satellite infrastructure. In March, the Taiwan Space Agency announced a contract with CesiumAstro, a phased array and antenna startup, as part of their new B5G program, which will build a system of sovereign LEO satcom infrastructure. And last week, Chunghwa Telecom spent $115 million on a micro-GEO satellite from Astranis, which will become Taiwan’s first dedicated telecommunications spacecraft. This is just one example of a recent trend of governments seeking to establish themselves as independent space players.
“Countries will want to have some guarantee, as we depend more on space, of continuity of service for their needs,” said Hamdullah Mohib, CEO of Marlan Space, during a panel on space infrastructure at the Satellite 2025 show. The prioritization of security in space systems is one of the most pressing arguments for countries to develop their own sovereign space systems. “If we want countries around the world to be able to defend themselves, they’re going to need their own national security space ecosystem,” said Mark Dankberg, CEO of Viasat, during a panel of satcom CEOs at the show. “How this sorts out is one of the biggest issues in the space industry.”
With this increased emphasis on the sovereignty of space markets, the question of how to establish international norms of behavior becomes more critical. While many countries would like to have sovereign systems that can be operated without interference from other parties, space is inherently an international domain, similar to international waters. Any activities that take place in space rely to some degree on collaborative technology, such as situational awareness and satellite mobility, to guarantee safety and sustainability for all players.
“Security, sovereignty and sustainability in space—I think those are the three magic watch words that are going to govern international access to space,” said Dankberg.
Increased International Regulation: Yea or Nay?
International standards give satellite operators a playing field on which to operate. While many operators are hesitant to encourage increased regulation, some argue that better international regulation will increase overall satellite capability and open greater orbital opportunity. “Overall capacity of orbit increases when things are done in order,” said Janice Starzyk, Acting Director of the Office of Space Commerce at NOAA, during a panel on space law and policy at Satellite 2025.
All current international regulation of satellite orbits falls under the ITU Radiocommunication Sector. The ITU is a UN agency that regulates and develops the technical standards that allow networks and technologies to interconnect and coexist. Most importantly, the ITU allocates and regulates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits.
Agenda items for the ITU’s World Radiocommunication Conference, which will meet next in 2027, consists of items such as Earth Stations in Motion (ESIM), frequencies for smaller antenna sizes and ensuring compatibility for NGSO systems integrated into Fixed Satellite Systems (FSS). Each of these issues is strictly concerned with how satellites communicate with the ground, including what frequencies and spectrum they use; they do not address or regulate what activities a satellite undertakes.
Without a clear delineation of spectrum rights, the ability to use and access satellites in orbit quickly falls apart, which is why organizations like the ITU are so critical to space development. “Relying exclusively on industry to govern themselves is not likely to succeed,” said Curtis Blake, Counsel at Wilson Sonsini, during the same panel on space law. An under-regulated industry could easily turn into a tragedy of the commons, where individual players over-exploit common resources like spectrum, and the entire industry becomes a race to the bottom.
Security, Safety and Sustainability Across Borders
Blake argued that greater regulation would improve safety in orbit. “As space gets more crowded, as the stakes of a foul-up between two parties gets higher, there absolutely needs to be more regulation,” he said. And there is plenty of evidence that satellite orbits are getting more dangerous.
ABI Research predicted that 43,000 active satellites would be in orbit by 2023, a nearly 450% increase from the approximate 10,000 satellites currently in orbit. China will contribute significantly to this rise in satellite presence, as evidenced by a recent effort to assert itself as a major LEO player. China recently announced and began launching several mega-constellations, including its Starlink competitor, Spacesail, which will consist of nearly 14,000 satellites.
With so many satellites in orbit and scheduled to launch, near misses are becoming more common. In February 2024, NASA spacecraft TIMED and a dead Russian satellite, Cosmos 2221, passed within 10 meters of each other. And in 2021, Chinese military satellite Yunhai 1-02 was actually hit by debris left from the rocket that launched Russian spy satellite Tselina-2 nearly three decades ago.
While these stories are dramatic, collisions remain rare—but risk is steadily on the rise. International regulatory frameworks make it easier for operators to predict where other satellites are or will be, and if regulation isn’t clear, it slows down regulators tasked with approving tens of thousands of new satellites. Unclear regulation frameworks only make space more dangerous for all national players, and the regulation process itself slower and more frustrating.
Safety in space is inherently a matter of collaboration between parties, even if those parties are sovereign governments. To develop a working system of safety and sustainability, especially for matters like collision avoidance, satellite systems will need to be designed with interoperability and collaboration in mind.
“With cost and tech capabilities today, a coalition of likeminded nations will always be better off together than trying to go it alone,” said Clint Crosier, Director of Aerospace and Satellite Solutions at AWS, during a panel at Satellite 2025. This is especially true of capabilities like launch, where collaboration between companies and nations will be crucial to achieving market growth. The question of collaboration is complex but necessary—even if sovereign nations establish sovereign networks and sovereign satellite constellations, it is simply impossible for them to exist in isolation from each other.
“How do we collaborate?” asked Mohib. “Alone, it cannot be a sustainable business.”
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