Gravity: The EU’s Bureaucratic Space Race

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a continent in possession of a failing space industry must be in want of a regulator. And so, true to form, the European Commission has looked up at the stars, marveled at the infinite void, and thought: “You know what this place needs? A compliance officer.”

Welcome to the EU Space Act, unveiled in June 2025 and currently causing aneurysms in Washington and sighs of resignation in Toulouse. If you were hoping for a roadmap to a reusable rocket, a sovereign internet constellation, or a lunar base, I suggest you lower your expectations to ground level. What we have instead is a legislative masterpiece designed to ensure that while Europe may not conquer space, it will certainly audit it.