Basic Issues of the Creation of Russian Legislation on Natural Resource Activities in Outer Space

INTRODUCTION. There are different forecasts of the period when natural resources activities (even on small scale) in outer space start. The innovative trends in national legal regulation on the property rights to space resources among states-partners to the Artemis Accords de facto outpace the actual commencement of such activities, even on relatively small industrial scales. Existing governmental and non-governmental lunar projects (in some cases in their interaction) at this stage are focused on obtaining and analyzing sufficient scientific data for relevant assessments. However, the legal and economic processes related to the regime on the use of natural resources of celestial bodies (in the relatively near term – directly in space (the so-called “in situ resource utilization”) to support the space missions; in the more distant term – for commercial purposes) require urgent attention. This issue is among the most illustrative and significant in understanding the possible and advisable ways and directions of the further development not only of international space law but also of national space legislation, including with the aim of creating favorable conditions for attracting investment into the private space sector of the national economy, in particular to the future use of space resources. Therefore, this study is devoted to a systematic analysis of the current state, as well as the necessary changes and development paths of the Russia’s related legislative approach.
MATERIALS and METHODS. The theoretical background of this research consists of works of Russian and foreign legal scholars, including experts in international space law, national legislation of foreign countries and Russia. The analytical framework includes the UN treaties on outer space; documents of the UN COPUOS Legal Subcommittee; national space legislation of foreign states, comprising the acts adopted in 2024–2025 by the United States, Brazil, Italy; relevant laws and court practice of Russia. The main methods are those of formal logic such as analysis, synthesis, analogy, alongside systemic, and comparative-legal.
RESEARCH RESULTS. 1. Innovative laws and bylaws of the United States, Luxembourg, the UAE, Japan, as well as Brazil and Italy, outpace the development of special international legal regime on natural resources of celestial bodies. 2. The first licenses for space natural resource activities were issued in Japan and Luxembourg for the purpose of fulfilling contractual obligations to NASA related to the lunar regolith samples’ collection. 3. The US Presidential Executive Order "Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry” of August 13, 2025, provides for reforming regulatory barriers and excluding excessive and duplicative licensing requirements applicable to various types of space activities, including the "novel" ones as under its Sec. 5. 4. The general legislative framework for space activities, including mechanisms to support private space endeavors, in the states-parties to the Artemis Accords, as well as to intergovernmental agreements on ILRS, is unevenly developed. 5. The national legislation of Russia: regulates the main issues of space activities but does not contain sufficient legislative incentives for the development of private space industry; space resource activities are not addressed in it; there are only indirect signs that such activity is potentially possible.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION. 1. In a number of foreign countries, space resource acts were enacted in the absence of regulation of general space activity issues, and de facto, along with other factors of political and economic nature, challenged its development. 2. The adoption of the US Presidential Executive Order "Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry” of August 13, 2025 will impact the large-scale development of “novel” space activities initially within the framework of currently priority scientific missions, and then in the long term, with confirmation of economic feasibility, also for commercial purposes. 3. A broad recognition exists both among the states-parties to the Artemis Accords and intergovernmental agreements on ILRS, including Russia, of the advisability of creating favorable legislative conditions for the development of private space activities. For these purposes, the relevant laws and by-laws, including those on space natural resources, are being adopted quite rapidly by states that previously were not active actors on the global space activity arena. 4. These legislative and economic factors in their interaction gradually lead to an increase in investments in the space sector of various countries, and at this stage, the adoption of space resource acts is only one of the reasons. 5. To improve Russia’s space legal framework, the following changes are recommended: a) regarding general measures to support the development of private space activities: elimination of excessive regulatory barriers within the licensing system for space activities; establishment of the upper limit on the obligatory space liability insurance coverage; creation of conditions for developing the national insurance market for risks related to space activity, including property insurance; creation of effective economic conditions for interaction and cooperation between government and private entities in implementing space projects in national interests. b) regarding space natural resource activities: comprehensive legislative reform aligned with Russia’s clarified (in the interests of the development of the Russian economy) relevant international legal position; in addition to general supportive measures for the development of private space activities, it is advisable to review the possibility to include space resources within the objects of regulation of Russian legislation, including the issue of property rights to the extracted resources.

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