Akin Space Law, Regulation and Policy Update | December 5, 2025
Despite the Thanksgiving holiday, it’s been a busy couple of weeks in space. As we head into 2025’s homestretch, all Speaker Johnson wants for Christmas is final NDAA language, several members want NDAA language to put investment in Chinese aerospace on the naughty list, Jared Isaacman (who earlier this year seemed destined to receive a lump of coal) has been renominated for the NASA Administrator role and President Trump this week published his national security wish list.
Beyond Washington, the European Space Agency (ESA) members committed to increased space spending and the China National Space Administration published a 22-measures plan designed to integrate commercial space into its national strategy, signaling plans to build a coordinated, state-backed commercial ecosystem by 2027.
All that and more in this edition of Akin’s Space Law, Regulation and Policy Update.
One more thing: Next week will be a big week for space conferences in Washington, D.C. If you’re attending the International Institute of Space Law (IISL) Galloway Symposium (hosted at Akin’s D.C. office and free to attend – register here) or Americas Space Forum, please stop us and say hi. We will attend both conferences.
Authors
© 2025 Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. All rights reserved. Attorney advertising. This document is distributed for informational use only; it does not constitute legal advice and should not be used as such. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Akin is the practicing name of Akin Gump LLP, a New York limited liability partnership authorized and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under number 267321. A list of the partners is available for inspection at Eighth Floor, Ten Bishops Square, London E1 6EG. For more information about Akin Gump LLP, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP and other associated entities under which the Akin Gump network operates worldwide, please see our Legal Notices page.