The French Space Operations Act (FSOA) translates the nation’s international commitments on outer space activities (1967 Space Treaty) into law. It thus sets out the legal and regulatory framework applied by the government to authorize and oversee space operations conducted from French territory and/or by French firms.
Key information
| Mission | Define the legal framework for overseeing space operations conducted from French territory and/or by French entities |
|---|---|
| Domain | Cross-cutting |
| Start date | Act signed into law 4 June 2008 |
| Partners | Ministry of the Economy and Finance, Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research, Ministry of Armed Forces, international bodies |
| Where | France |
| Lifetime | Indefinite |
Key figures
-
54,000
Space debris objects larger than 10 cm (2025 estimation)
-
1.5 billion
Space debris objects between 1 cm and 10 cm (2025 estimation)
-
150+
Authorizations granted for orbital systems since 2008
-
120+
Authorizations granted for launch systems since 2008
Key milestones
- 4 June 2008: French Space Operations Act (FSOA) signed into law
- 31 March 2011: Ministerial order setting out technical regulations associated with the FSOA
- 28 June 2024: Major revision to technical regulations, notably defining new conjunction assessment, in-orbit services and constellation requirements
Project in brief
CNES is tasked on behalf of the ministry with responsibility for space with checking compliance with FSOA technical regulations of authorization requests—for launches, spacecraft control and return to Earth—submitted by operators bound by the act. This task is performed by the agency’s FSOA Launch Systems and FSOA Orbital Systems offices.
Calling on CNES’s extensive technical expertise, these FSOA offices submit proposals to the ministry with responsibility for space to revise the act’s technical regulations and adapt them to the new stakes of space. They also contribute to defining and evolving international space safety and sustainability standards (e.g. ISO, ECSS and IADC standards). The FSOA offices interface with other international bodies to track the evolution of the space ecosystem and ensure that the act’s technical regulations remain relevant in today’s world.
The FSOA offices raise awareness within the space ecosystem about space safety and sustainability issues. They help operators bound by the FSOA to ensure their projects’ compliance (through a preliminary compliance process during development and the provision of best practice guides). They also offer training and support to space operators, take part in workshops and seminars, and promote technical and operational solutions designed to minimize impacts on the space environment.
Video
Contacts
Head of CNES FSOA Orbital Systems office (Toulouse)
Olfa El Jed
E-mail: bureaulos.systemesorbitaux at cnes.fr
Head of CNES FSOA Launch Systems office (Paris)
Arnaud Biard
E-mail: dts-los at cnes.fr