Satellite and Space Projects Newsletter November 2025

Spanning the key areas from UK space strategy and the levers needed to grow the space economy, through international partnerships and regulation to sustainability, the analysis draws on views from leaders across the UK space sector. Among the report's key recommendations is to ensure that the UK remains a world leader in future space regulation. Fieldfisher's commentary on the UK response to the EU Space Act is reflected in the report available here.

Importantly, as the report recognises, agile forward-looking regulation delivers huge advantages in the fast-changing space landscape. Looking at the Space Act specifically, the UK will need to balance the benefits of third country equivalence status against the potential dual compliance burdens for UK space businesses under existing UK law and the EU Space Act. Achieving clarity in space regulation is vital for industry, investors and regulators. So industry and investors will be keen to see how regulation is supported by pragmatic and streamlined licensing processes. Read our briefing here.

Airbus, Leonardo and Thales announce European merger: Airbus, Leonardo and Thales have announced a proposed merger to create a leading European player in space. The merger will combine Airbus' Space Systems and Space Digital businesses, Leonardo's Space Division (including its shares in Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space) and Thales' shares in Thales Alenia Space, Telespazio, and Thales SESO. The merger looks to create a European space company which will be able to compete more effectively on the global stage.

Commentators have suggested that the merger will both enable the delivery of major, complex programmes with greater efficiency and create a more collaborative ecosystem where smaller players can access opportunities, guidance and investment.

US targets EU Space Act for 'unacceptable regulatory burdens': After the Trump administration's recent discontent towards the proposed EU Space Act (see here), the U.S. Department of State has now responded to the public consultation with further critiques. Among numerous objections, the US flags what it sees as prescriptive safety measures and burdensome launch regulations and claims that digital sovereignty measures are unfairly restrictive against U.S. firms.

Instead, the U.S. says the Act should provide a 'permissive and adaptable framework' which 'promotes innovation, investment, and fair competition for the U.S., EU, and EU member states’ commercial sectors'.

New EU Defence Readiness 2030 Roadmap to include European Space Shield: On 16 October 2025 the European Commission published its "Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030". The plan proposes four European Flagships: European Drone Defence Initiative, the Eastern Flank Watch, the European Air Shield, and the European Space Shield, with a view to reinforce Europe's ability to deter and defend across land, air, sea, cyber and space.

The European Space Shield, set to launch in Q2 2026, will set up and protect a comprehensive European system of space capabilities which serve defence purposes and will build on existing EU space systems and national capabilities. This aims to ensure the protection and resilience of space assets and services, to achieve defence readiness by 2030 against growing threats.

EnduroSat raises $104 million funding for satellite manufacturing: EnduroSat of Bulgaria has announced $104 million in venture capital funding to increase its small satellite manufacturing capacity. The funds will help boost production in its new 17,500m² facility in Sofia. Since 2015, EnduroSat has raised over $150 million in funding, with production capacity growing from around 12 cubesats per month to two Gen3 Endurance spacecraft per day.

Ofcom grants temporary E-band authorisation for Starlink: Ofcom, the UK spectrum regulator, has granted SpaceX's Starlink service "temporary authorisation" to harness E-band frequencies for use in their mega-constellation of Low Earth Orbit ultrafast broadband satellites. By the end of 2024 Starlink's userbase doubled and as a result it has suffered capacity issues. The move will boost Starlink's backhaul data capacity at their three UK gateway Earth station sites.

FCC votes to overhaul satellite licensing: The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to overhaul satellite licensing via a "licensing assembly line" that will accelerate decisions on applications for satellite systems. Additionally, the FCC is also looking to encourage more intensive use of the upper end of microwave spectrum bands to make the licensing process more efficient.

The move represents a shift from a "default to no" to "default to yes" framework, aiming to boost innovation, simplify applications and increase flexibility for operations. The FCC Chairman, Brendan Carr has said that this regulation update is set to make the U.S. "the friendliest regulatory environment in the world" for space.

Open Cosmos links with Panasonic on optical inter-satellite communications: Open Cosmos of the UK has announced a 6-month project with Japanese company Panasonic Operational Excellence Co. to advance optical inter-satellite communications. The companies are looking to create faster and more autonomous ways for satellites to connect in orbit.

Open Cosmos will test and assess integration for future missions while Panasonic will lead antenna design and analysis. The project, named Quiver, has received funding from the UK Space Agency through the International Bilateral Fund (IBF).