Morant claims the space as "critical infrastructure" for the economy: "Spain no longer accompanies, contributes to building it."

General situation: there is not yet a "Spanish Space Law" in parliamentary processing

As of September 2, 2026, there is no record in the Congress or Senate of any bill or legislative proposal titled "Space Law", "Spanish Space Law" or equivalent, nor a Draft Law on Space Activities already registered. That is, the future Spanish space law is still in the pre-legislative phase within the Government, without having formally started its parliamentary processing.

1. Pre-legislative phase: Draft Law on Space Activities

The core of the future regulation is currently structured around the Draft Law on Space Activities, jointly promoted by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the Ministry of Defense:

• On November 5, 2025, the prior public consultation procedure on this draft was opened, with a deadline until December 5, 2025, according to an official note from the Ministry of Defense: Defense note on the Draft Law .
• The consultation aims to gather opinions on problems to be solved, the need for the regulation, objectives, and alternatives, in accordance with Articles 133 of Law 39/2015 and 26 of Law 50/1997.
• The government text itself states that the law intends to create a comprehensive and modern legal framework for space activities under Spanish jurisdiction, strengthening security, sustainability, and resilience and promoting industrial development and innovation in coherence with national strategies and the European framework.

Based on the available information (public consultations and specialized coverage, for example in Demócrata regarding the consultation on the Law of Space Activities ), there is no record yet that this draft has been approved by the Council of Ministers as a bill nor sent to the Cortes. Consequently:

• The strict parliamentary processing (Congress–Senate) of this law has not yet begun.
• The initiative is at the previous stage: technical design, consultation, and internal drafting of the government text.

2. Parliamentary initiatives to promote the space framework

Although there is no "Space Law" in processing, there have been registered in the Cortes non-legislative motions (PNL) and other initiatives to promote space policy and strategic autonomy:

• In the Congress, the Socialist Group promoted the Non-Legislative Motion regarding the development of the first National Space Strategy, which urges the Government to develop this strategy and to culminate it in a Space Law (initiative 162/000221, Series D no. 136/2024). This PNL explicitly aims to position Spain "at the forefront of the space industry" and strengthen strategic autonomy.
• Also in the Congress, PNLs were approved on the promotion of the aerospace industry (161/002958) and on the Atlantic Constellation as a strategic project (161/002124), emphasizing ensuring financing, Spanish business participation, and critical national capabilities in the space field.
• In the Senate, a Motion on support for the aerospace sector in New Space (15)661/001924 was approved, highlighting the strategic nature of the sector and the need for promotion policies.

All these are non-normative initiatives (they do not create law by themselves), but they show that there is a political majority in favor of developing both a National Space Strategy and a specific law and linking both to Spanish and European strategic autonomy.

3. Existing regulations and strategies on space strategic autonomy

The strengthening of strategic autonomy in space is currently channeled more through the strategic and programmatic route than through new laws already approved:

• The National Aerospace Security Strategy, published by Order PJC/845/2025, of July 29 ( BOE-A-2025-16214 ), identifies space as a key operational domain and sets as a line of action "strengthen and sustain Spanish space strategic autonomy", including development of a Spanish space traffic management system, protection of critical space infrastructures, and support for the national industry.
• The Spanish Space Agency (AEE), created by Royal Decree 158/2023 and with a specific National Security component, is the governance axis of this policy. A Defense–AEE agreement on space surveillance and tracking was published in the BOE on December 10, 2025 ( BOE-A-2025-25199 ), strengthening capabilities for tracking objects in orbit and situational awareness in space.
• In parallel, the Government has approved relevant agreements and spending programs (for example, contributions to the European Space Agency for projects that seek to strengthen strategic autonomy and the Spanish industrial base in constellations such as IRIS²).

4. Conclusion

In summary, the answer to your question is twofold:

• The "Spanish Space Law" as such is not yet in parliamentary processing. The process is at the draft stage (Law on Space Activities) and public consultation, without a bill yet registered in Congress.
• Strategic autonomy in the space sector is currently advancing through strategies, agreements, and programs, and through PNLs and parliamentary debates that push the Government to culminate this regulatory framework in a future space law.

The competencies and functions of the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities are defined by combining general regulations on ministers and administration (especially Law 40/2015, on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector) with the specific regulations that create and structure the department (mainly Royal Decree 829/2023, of November 20, and its subsequent organic development through Royal Decree 1009/2023 and Royal Decree 472/2024, as well as Order CNU/670/2024 on delegation of competencies).

1. Material areas of competence of the Ministry

Royal Decree 829/2023, which restructures ministerial departments, explicitly specifies the material scope of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities:

• The ministry is responsible for the proposal and execution of the Government's policy on science, technological development, and innovation across all sectors of the economy and society.
• It is also responsible for the proposal and execution of the Government's policy on universities and activities inherent to the university system.
• It has as its superior body the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Universities, through which much of these policies are articulated.

The subsequent organic development (Royal Decree 1009/2023 and, more specifically, Royal Decree 472/2024) distributes these competencies among secretaries of state, undersecretary, general secretaries, and general directorates, covering major blocks such as:

• Scientific and R&D&I policy: planning of scientific and technical research, management of the State R&D&I Plan, large scientific infrastructures, and coordination of research networks and programs.
• Innovation and technological policy: support for business innovation, knowledge transfer, public-private collaboration, and support programs for innovative ecosystems.
• Universities: general regulation of the university system, coordination with autonomous communities and universities, and development of state programs for financing and quality improvement.
• Space policy and coordination of the aerospace sector, in close relation with the State Agency "Spanish Space Agency" (whose statute is approved by Royal Decree 158/2023).

2. General functions of the minister as head of the department

Based on this material scope, Law 40/2015 and the royal decrees on organic structure assign to the minister a set of typical powers:

• Direction and organization of the ministry: the minister holds the leadership of the department, sets guidelines, assigns objectives, and coordinates the actions of the Secretary of State, the Undersecretary, and other senior and management bodies. Approves internal organization within the framework set by the organic structure royal decrees.
• Normative and planning capacity: promotes normative initiatives in the fields of science, innovation, and universities (draft bills, royal decrees, ministerial orders), as well as strategic plans (State R&D&I Plans, innovation strategies, university planning, or space strategies). Submits these initiatives to the Council of Ministers, which adopts formal decisions.
• Budget and grant management: holds ultimate responsibility over the department's credits and major aid and grant programs in research, innovation, universities, or space. Many of these powers are delegated to the Secretary of State and Undersecretary through Order CNU/670/2024, on delegation of competencies, but the minister remains politically responsible for the whole.
• Oversight of public bodies and attached agencies: exercises oversight and supervision of public research organizations and state agencies within its scope (such as the Spanish Space Agency, certain biomedical research or technological innovation bodies), assuming functions of presidency or appointment of their top officials when provided by their statutes.
• Representation and coordination: represents the Government in its material scope before:
  • Other ministries and internal collegiate bodies (sectoral conferences, interministerial councils).
  • Autonomous communities, through bodies such as the Council of Scientific, Technological and Innovation Policy or the General Conference on University Policy.
  • The European Union and international organizations of science, higher education, innovation, and space, participating in sectoral ministerial councils and international forums.
• Relations with Parliament: appears before the Cortes Generales to explain policies within its scope, defend bills, and respond to control initiatives, within the general functions of ministers.
• Delegation and deconcentration: according to Law 40/2015, may delegate competencies to bodies within the ministry and dependent organizations, detailed in Order CNU/670/2024 to streamline processing of expenditure files, grants, contracts, and other management acts.

3. Political and administrative responsibility

Finally, like other Government members, the minister is politically accountable before the Congress of Deputies for the orientation and results of science, innovation, university, and space policies. From an administrative perspective, Law 40/2015 frames her actions within the principles of effectiveness, efficiency, coordination, planning, and good administration, as well as supervision of the public institutional sector dependent on her department.

Spanish companies wishing to participate in major EU space programs like IRIS² operate within a dual regulatory framework: the European framework (EU space program, future Space Law, and public procurement rules) and the internal Spanish framework (aerospace security, investment control, and security/cybersecurity requirements for working with the public sector). There is no single "access" law, but rather a set of accumulating requirements.

1. Sectoral European framework: EU Space Program and future Space Law

Regulation (EU) 2021/696 created the Union Space Program and the EU Agency for the Space Program (EUSPA). On this basis, the Commission has proposed an EU Space Law, aiming to harmonize currently fragmented rules and set common security, resilience, and environmental sustainability requirements for space operators across the Union (Commission note).

For a Spanish company wishing to supply equipment, satellites, or services to IRIS² or other major programs, this implies:

• Authorization and European regulatory compliance: the future Space Law will require space operators to have authorization and demonstrate compliance with operational safety, risk management, and incident reporting requirements throughout the satellite's life cycle.
• Space debris management and sustainability: obligations are foreseen to limit new orbital debris and ensure safe satellite deorbiting at end of life, as well as rules to measure the environmental impact of space activities.
• Cybersecurity and resilience: the proposal requires operators to conduct risk assessments and apply specific cybersecurity rules for satellites, ground stations, and communication links, given that infrastructures like IRIS² are oriented to critical governmental uses.

2. Procurement rules and eligibility in EU space programs

IRIS² is executed as a public-private partnership between the Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium (SES, Eutelsat, and Hispasat), which assigns industrial work packages to European manufacturers and suppliers (note on IRIS²). The logic consolidating in the reform of the EU satellite policy, according to specialized press, includes:

• Preference for European supply chains and technologies developed in the EU, to strengthen strategic autonomy.
• Strict eligibility criteria regarding data protection, national security, and regulatory control for operators accessing these contracts, as highlighted by the analysis of the EU satellite reform in Demócrata.
• Application of European public procurement and state aid rules, with reinforced requirements for projects considered strategic, including the possibility to limit foreign participation or require R&D and local employment commitments in certain large-volume investments (analysis on new industrial legislation; priority to European product).

In practice, for Spanish companies it is often key to integrate into consortia led by major European operators (such as SpaceRISE itself, where Hispasat acts as the main contractor for the IRIS² ground segment), aligning their corporate and compliance structure with these requirements.

3. Spanish requirements on security, defense, and investment control

Internally, Spain has approved the National Aerospace Security Strategy 2025, which considers components of the EU Space Program as of national security interest and emphasizes the need to protect intellectual property and strategic developments (Order PJC/845/2025).

For companies, this translates into several layers of requirements:

• Compliance with Spanish information security regulations when working with administrations or programs funded with public funds; many strategic contracts require alignment with the National Security Framework (ENS) at medium or high level, a condition used in other sectors to filter access to sensitive tenders.
• Consistency with defense and export policy: some projects linked to IRIS², such as the “Multi-orbit Satcom” program integrated by Defense into the European constellation, have dual or military dimensions and are subject to defense and dual-use material control, as well as specific authorizations from the Ministry of Defense.
• Control of foreign investments in strategic sectors: European rules and recent industrial initiatives reinforce scrutiny over ownership and control of companies involved in critical technologies. For large-volume investments from third countries, limits on foreign participation, obligations to create employment and R&D in the EU, and technology transfer requirements are proposed, which member states (including Spain) must verify.

4. Technical capacity and governance requirements

Beyond strict law, major programs like IRIS² impose in their tender documents:

• Demonstrated industrial capacity in satellite segments, ground stations, control software, or secure communication services.
• Compliance structures in data protection, cybersecurity, and business continuity, consistent with European standards that the future Space Law will harmonize.
• Financial solidity and fund traceability, aligned with management and audit rules of European competitiveness and innovation programs, where the European Court of Auditors has been demanding more clarity in public procurement and risk control.

In summary, a Spanish company aspiring to IRIS² must simultaneously comply with the new European space regulatory framework, the security and digital sovereignty requirements associated with critical programs, EU investment and public procurement controls, and the Spanish aerospace security, defense, and cybersecurity rules applicable to strategic projects.