1 Trnava University (Trnava, Slovakia), National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine (Kharkiv, Ukraine)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29202/asl/17/2
Received: 27 March 2026 / Accepted: 18 May 2026 / Published: 30 June 2026
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Abstract
The article traces the evolution of Ukrainian space regulation from the establishment of the National Space Agency of Ukraine to the deregulatory reforms of 2015–2025. Particular attention is given to the partial dismantling of the previous licensing system and the incomplete formation of a modern permit-based regime for private space activities. The study further analyses the relevance of the EU Space Act Proposal, ESA Zero Debris Charter and European sustainability-oriented soft-law instruments. It concludes that fragmented amendments are no longer sufficient. Ukrainian space legislation requires broader recasting around authorisation, continuing supervision, liability allocation, cybersecurity, sustainability and proportional regulation of different categories of operators.
Keywords: Ukrainian space law; Law on Space Activities; EU Space Act Proposal; administrative procedure; space governance; operator-based regulation; space sustainability.
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