Commercial Use of Microreactors in Outer Space and the Road Towards a Space Nuclear Law

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11220%2F25%3A10507833" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11220/25:10507833 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=SWI0dFHZgb" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=SWI0dFHZgb</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Commercial Use of Microreactors in Outer Space and the Road Towards a Space Nuclear Law

Original language description

The entire world has entered the New Space Era. Advanced space technologieshave significantly reduced launch costs, and the number of actors launching satellitesinto orbit has increased continuously. Innovations in technology have opened the doorfor nanosatellites and microsatellites, which bring the opportunity to enable missionsthat large satellites cannot accomplish, such as providing constellations for low-data-ratecommunications and in-orbit inspection of larger satellites. All these technological advanceshave opened outer space for commercial use by private entities. In the New Space Era, thestate has lost its previously established monopoly on exploring and utilising outer space.Having said this, the New Space Era also presents considerable challenges for the prospectivedeployment of nuclear technologies in outer space. Current projects of companies such asWestinghouse, Rolls-Royce, and Mitsubishi include microreactors for space applications,such as space mining and delivering power to human settlements in outer space. In July2025, the Czech start-up Stellar Nuclear announced the commencement of work towardsa lunar microreactor. Considering the involvement of commercial entities in these projects,one may predict that the private sector will have considerable interest in the use of nuclearenergy in space activities in the future. This article argues that nuclear law needs to reflectprospective challenges arising from the future commercialisation of nuclear use in outerspace. The current legal framework has reflected an étatist approach to space activities,primarily focusing on government-led space projects. This approach, however, is insufficientto address the challenges arising from the prospective commercialisation and privatisationof nuclear activities in outer space. The future legal framework must address the risks arisingfrom the gradual emergence of private nuclear space corporations, innovators, and start-ups.In this respect, this article argues that future space nuclear law cannot be a pure extensionof existing legal frameworks. The realities of outer space differ considerably from those ofEarth, and therefore, a holistic approach will be needed to establish a new legal framework.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_SC - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the SCOPUS database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

50501 - Law

Project

<a href="/en/project/GA24-10062S" target="_blank" >GA24-10062S: A fleet of small modular reactors on horizon! Do we need a new nuclear law?</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Czech Yearbook of Public and Private International Law

ISSN

1805-0565

e-ISSN

1805-0999

Volume of the periodical

16

Issue of the periodical within the volume

16

Country of publishing house

CZ - CZECH REPUBLIC

Number of pages

13

Pages from-to

245-257

UT code for WoS article

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EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105035595038