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Magda Cocco, Helena Correia Mendonça
Air and Space Law
Volume 45, Issue 2 (2020) pp. 157 – 200
https://doi.org/10.54648/aila2020009
Abstract
This article examines Portugal’s legal and regulatory framework for space activities, including on authorization, pre-qualification, registration, liability and insurance. It analyses the choices made at both the national and regional levels, including in light of the country’s international obligations under the UN Space Treaties and the evolution of the space sector in matters such as small satellites, constellations of satellites, suborbital flights and space mining. It notes that the legal framework is business-friendly but that there are issues that require further clarification, a goal that will no doubt be achieved once launches from the future Azores spaceport begin.
Keywords
National Space Act, Regional Space Act, small satellites, constellation of satellites, Azores spaceport
Extract
This article examines Portugal’s legal and regulatory framework for space activities, including on authorization, pre-qualification, registration, liability and insurance. It analyses the choices made at both the national and regional levels, including in light of the country’s international obligations under the UN Space Treaties and the evolution of the space sector in matters such as small satellites, constellations of satellites, suborbital flights and space mining. It notes that the legal framework is business-friendly but that there are issues that require further clarification, a goal that will no doubt be achieved once launches from the future Azores spaceport begin.