For years, the Polish space sector functioned in a kind of regulatory vacuum. Although indigenous companies successfully provided instruments for ESA or NASA missions, there was a lack of a national legal framework to define the rules of the game in orbit. The Act on Space Activities adopted by the Sejm on 13 February changes this state of affairs, transforming Poland from an ambitious observer into a fully-fledged player on the map of the global extraterrestrial economy.
For investors and entrepreneurs, the most important signal coming from Warsaw is predictability. The law introduces a clear definition of space activities, encompassing launch, exploitation and – crucially in an era of the growing problem of space junk – deorbit of objects. This approach encapsulates the life cycle of a mission in a legal framework, which is essential for obtaining debt financing or commercial insurance.
Unlike many European counterparts, the Polish regulation relies on flexibility. The abandonment of rigid capital thresholds in favour of assessing the risk of a specific mission is a nod to the NewSpace sector. Instead of blocking young spin-off companies from entering the market with prohibitive financial requirements, the President of the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) will assess the entity’s real operational capabilities.
Equally important is the issue of civil liability. The law limits the maximum sum insured to €60 million, which is a reasonable amount on the scale of the global space industry. This protects smaller players from costs that could stifle innovation at the prototyping stage. In addition, limiting the liability of subcontractors to wilful misconduct only builds a safe ecosystem for a wide supply chain – from sensor manufacturers to software providers.
The National Register of Space Objects (NROK) is becoming a key oversight tool. Registering an object under the Polish flag means bringing it under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Poland, which, from an international perspective, brings order to issues of ownership and state responsibility. At the same time, POLSA is emerging as a central administrator of satellite data, which is expected to stimulate the market for downstream applications – using data from orbit in agriculture, logistics or insurance.
The Polish law is not just a formality, but a strategic foundation. By creating a stable legal environment, Warsaw is sending a clear message to VC funds: Polish deep tech is ready to scale beyond the atmosphere, and legal risk is no longer a barrier to entry.
