Workshop on Legal and Policy Aspects of the Use of Satellites in Armed Conflicts

The joint research project with IDEST Paris - Institute of Air, Space and Telecommunications Law has reached an important midway milestone with the successful organization of a professional workshop in Budapest. The project examines the legal and policy aspects of the satellites in armed conflicts. 

The workshop provided a forum for in-depth academic exchange, during which seven draft manuscripts were discussed with the participation of invited national and international experts. The aim of the discussion was to critically assess the research progress to date and to offer expert feedback to further refine the studies under preparation.

Participants engaged in constructive and interdisciplinary dialogue on the evolving role of space-based assets in contemporary armed conflicts, with particular attention to the legal challenges arising from military and dual-use satellite applications. 

The research team plans to publish the results of the project in an edited colume scheduled for release in 2026, with a book launch planned to take place in Paris in the fall of the same year.

The Hubert-Curien / Balaton Program 2025-2026 studies the legal framework applicable to the uses of satellites in wartime. The following issues will are addressed by the research group:

1) Military use of space under space law and general international law 

2) Recent developments in the field of Earth observation satellites 

3) Provision of telecommunications means to the parties to the conflict by third States 

4) Attacks on space objects from the perspective of the law of armed conflict

5) European Union space policy, including the proposal for a "European Space Law"

6) Liability issues in space warfare

7) Status of astronauts in space warfare