Space activities require authorisation from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment 

Space activities may only be carried out if the activities have been authorised in advance by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The Act on Space Activities (63/2018) contains provisions on the requirement for authorisation of space activities, and it is supplemented by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment Decree on Space Activities (74/2018).

An operator subject to authorisation for space activities is a party that effectively controls space activities. Space activities refer to the launching of a space object into outer space, the operation and other control of a space object in outer space, and the measures to return a space object and its return to the Earth. Space objects include satellites, probes and rockets. An operator may send or operate a space object itself or it may acquire its launch or operation as a service.

A written, free-form application for authorisation for space activities must be submitted to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment no later than six (6) months before the intended launch of the space object. In their application  for authorisation, the operator must include a necessary and reliable information for the consideration of authorisation on the following: 

A sufficient amount of time must be reserved for the authorisation process. An operator carrying out is space activities is responsible for ensuring that they apply for authorisation in time and that all the necessary information has been submitted for the authorisation process within the required timeframe. The application for authorisation may require supplementing or clarification during consideration, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment may also request the necessary clarification for the consideration of authorisation. Delays in submitting or supplementing an application may lead to the postponement of a project. Without authorisation for space activities, a space object cannot be launched. 

The obligation to apply for authorisation also applies to space activities where the operator acquires a space object already in orbit. In this case, a written, free-form application for authorisation for space activities must be submitted to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment no later than three (3) months before the acquisition of the space object in orbit. A operator must also apply for authorisation from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment for the transfer of space activities to another operator at the latest three (3) months before the intended transfer of space activities.     

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment recommends that applicants contact the Ministry well in advance of the set deadline. In this manner, the necessity for authorisation for planned activities can be determined prior to submitting an application, and it can be ascertained that all the information that is relevant to consideration of authorisation is submitted with the application.

The applicant shall be charged a fee for the processing of a permit application. The Decree of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment on Chargeable Performances of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (615/2023) entered into force on 1 April 2023 and will be valid until 31 March 2025. From 1 April 2023, a fee of EUR 7,000 will be charged for the processing of each space activities permit application. The fee is collected when the permit application has been processed and the process has been completed.