Luxembourg

This chapter examines the national space legislation of Luxembourg. Through a deliberate legislative and policy strategy, Luxembourg has positioned itself as a preferred European jurisdiction for private space operators. The chapter traces the evolution of its legal framework, beginning with the 1991 Electronic Media Law, which facilitated the growth of satellite broadcasting through SES. This early foundation set the stage for more targeted legislation, including the landmark 2017 Law on the Exploration and Use of Space Resources, the first in Europe to recognise property rights in extracted space materials. Building on this momentum, Luxembourg adopted the 2020 Law on Space Activities to regulate a broader array of space operations. The chapter analyses the legal content, institutional context, and implementation challenges of these laws. While both the 2017 and 2020 laws adopt licensing and supervisory mechanisms inspired by Luxembourg’s f inancial sector regulation, the former governs commercial space resource activities, the latter all other space activities. Together, they form a dual-track framework that has attracted international attention for its legal innovation but also prompted criticism for definitional ambiguity and a lack of environmental safeguards. The final sections address gaps in the current system, particularly the absence of preventive environmental rules and structured mechanisms to distinguish between operators of different scale or risk. The chapter concludes by identifying key reforms, including definitional clarity, regulatory tiering, an informed balancing of detailed regulation and ministerial discretion, and proactive alignment with the forthcoming EU Space Act.