All Issue

2025 Vol.2, Issue 2 Preview Page

Research Article

Contractual considerations for space asset joint-development
Il Seok Oh1*
1Institute for National Security Strategy, Seoul 06295, South Korea
*Corresponding Author
31 December 2025. pp. 20-28
PDF XML Citation
Abstract

The joint development of space assets is characterized as a long-term, high-risk project involving cutting-edge technology and large amounts of capital. It is also a business that reflects the diverse interests of various countries, governments, and private specialty companies involved in the joint development, as well as the companies that are under contract with them. In addition, it is an international project that requires the consideration of both national and international laws when examining legal considerations. Therefore, joint development of space assets is necessary to secure autonomy in space in the era of US-China competition, resolve the imbalance in the supply and demand of space assets, reduce costs, accumulate cutting-edge science and technology, and to take the lead in peaceful development of space. In order to succeed in the joint development of space assets, it is necessary to establish a legal way to hedge various risks related to joint development. To this end, this paper focuses on the formation of contractual relationships for the execution of joint development and the design of contracts accordingly. The paper also analyzes contract cases related to joint development of space assets. Based on this, we first presented general considerations for joint development contracts, including financing methods and development governance structures, licenses, permits, or approvals, export controls, attribution of intellectual property rights, risk and liability sharing and warranty periods, dispute resolution procedures, government risk protection, insurance, and confidentiality. In addition, the legal considerations for the design and construction, launch, operation, and disposal of space assets along their life cycle are discussed. By considering various legal issues related to joint development of space assets, the risks of joint development should be distributed. Based on this, it is considered necessary to build trust and cooperation among the joint development participants to ensure that the joint development leads to sustainable space development.

Keywords
Joint development of space assets
New space era
Financing methods
Warranty
Dispute resolution
Sustainable space development
References
1

J.-Y. Cho and Y.-J. Kim, South Korea, Middle East sign satellite development agreement... ‘emerging space market’ together [Online], 2024. Available at: https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2024011901070830103001 [Accessed 11/12/2025].

2

J.-h. Park, MSIT, UAE Space Agency to cooperate on space development [Online], 2023. Available at: https://www.newsprime.co.kr/news/article/?no=590634 [Accessed 11/12/2025].

3

I.-h. Kim, Korea-UK Cooperation Horizon Expands to Space...Space Exploration, Joint Working Group Formed [Online], 2023. Available at: https://news.mt.co.kr/mtview.php?no=2023112212063634254 [Accessed 11/12/2025].

4

J. Foust, NASA and ESA complete agreement for cooperation on Mars rover mission [Online], 2024. Available at: https://spacenews.com/nasa-and-esa-complete-agreement-for-cooperation-on-mars-rover-mission/ [Accessed 11/12/2025].

5

ESA, ESA and NASA sign Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in space transportation [Online], 2009. Available at: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/ESA_and_NASA_sign_Memorandum_of_Understanding_on_cooperation_in_space_transportation [Accessed 11/12/2025].

6

Martin Greenacre, EU ministers call for more public and private investment in space [Online], 2024. Available at: https://sciencebusiness.net/news/european-space-agency/eu-ministers-call-more-public-and-private-investment-space [Accessed 11/12/2025].

7

ARQUIMEA, ARQUIMEA and Aerospacelab agree to co-develop a high-performance Law Earth Orbit satellite [Online], 2023. Available at: https://www.arquimea.com/news/aerospacelab-low-earth-orbit-satellite/ [Accessed 11/12/2025].

8

J. Simonoff, Financing space activities, in the Cambridge encyclopedia of space. 1990, Cambridge University Press, UK., p. 338.

9

Bruce S. Brumberg, Financing space activities. Proceedings of the 28th Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space of the IISL (1985), p. 215.

10

Christopher D. Johnson, Legal and regulatory considerations of small satellite projects [Online], 2013. Available at: https://swfound.org/media/188605/small_satellite_program_guide_-_chapter_5_-_legal_and_regulatory_considerations_by_chris_johnson.pdf [Accessed 11/12/2025].

11

Expoer Administration Act of 1979, 50 USC 4601 et esq.

12

Notification on Designation of National Critical Technology, etc.

13

National Science and Technogy Council. CRITICAL AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES LIST UPDATE (February 2022).

14

S. Hong, Foreign industrial security act (p. 143). 2016, Good Land: Seoul.

15

D.-S. Song and J.-H. Heo, Administrative law considerations on restrictions on export of national core technology and foreign mergers and acquisitions under the industrial technology protection act. Korea Law Association, 70(4) (2021), p. 12.

16

Cathleen D. Cimino-Isaacs and Karen M. Sutter, The committee on foreign investment in the United States [Online], 2023, Available at: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10177/25 [Accessed 11/12/2025]

17

James K. Jackton, The committee on foreign investment in the United States (CFIUS), IN FOCUS, Congress Research Service (2019), pp. 1-2.

18

Viva Dadwal & Doak Bishop, King & Spalding, Risk Allocation provisiond in satellite disputes, LexisNexis [Online], 2023. Available at: https://www.lexisnexis.co.uk/blog/research-legal-analysis/risk-allocation-provisions-in-satellite-disputes [Accessed 11/12/2025].

19

L. Y. Zielinski, The rise of satellite arbitrations [Online], 2024. Available at: https://globalarbitrationreview.com/guide/the-guide-telecoms-arbitrations/second-edition/article/the-rise-of-satellite-arbitrations [Accessed 11/12/2025].

20

K.-H. Boeckstiegel, Settlement of Disputes Regarding Space Activities. Journal of Space Law. 21(1) (1993), p. 8.

21

Regulations of the European Space Agency: General Clauses and Conditions for ESA Contracts, ESA/REG/002 [Revised 05/07/2019].

22

Rachael O’Grady, Dispute Resolution in the Commercial Space Age: Are All Space-Farers Adequately Catered For?. ICC Dispute Resolution Bulletin. 3 (2021), p. 55.

23

V. Dadwal and M. McDonald, Arbitration of space-related disputes: Case trends and analysis, Presented at the 71st International Astronautical Congress [Online], 2020. Available at: https://www.mcgill.ca/iasl/files/iasl/arbitration_of_space-related_disputes.pdf [Accessed 11/12/2025].

24

J. Frohloff, Arbitration in Space Disputes. Arbitration International. 35(3) (2019), pp. 309-329.

10.1093/arbint/aiz015
25

S. Hobe, R. Popova, H. El Bajjati, and J. Scheu, The protection of satellite telecommunications activities under bilateral investment treaties. Journal of World Investment & Trade. 19(5), 2018, pp. 1024-1058.

10.1163/22119000-12340118
26

G. Hasin, Confronting space debris through the regime evolution approach. International Law Studies. 97 (2021), p. 1097.

27

C.D. Johnson, Legal and regulatory considerations of small satellite projects. Secure World Foundation [Online], Available at: https://s3vi.ndc.nasa.gov/ssri-kb/static/resources/small_satellite_program_guide_-_chapter_5_-_legal_and_regulatory_considerations_by_chris_johnson.pdf [Accessed 11/12/2025].

Information
  • Publisher :Korean Academy of Space Security
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국우주안보학회
  • Journal Title :JOURNAL OF SPACE SECURITY
  • Journal Title(Ko) :한국우주안보학회지
  • Volume : 2
  • No :2
  • Pages :20-28
  • Received Date : 2025-06-19
  • Revised Date : 2025-08-20
  • Accepted Date : 2025-12-05
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.23386/joss.2025.2.2.003
Journal Informaiton JOURNAL OF SPACE SECURITY JOURNAL OF SPACE SECURITY
Online Submission
  • KISTI Current Status
  • KISTI Cited-by
  • KCI 문헌 유사도 검사
  • orcid
  • open access
  • ccl
Journal Informaiton Journal Informaiton - close