Authorization is a term under the Outer Space Treaty (Art. VI sentence 2) requiring the launching state to license private space activities. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 allowed private space activities as exception, although Russia was principally opposed to it. The compromise found in this issue was that it should be allowed under strict governmental control. This gave rise to all national space law of about 25 countries who have established different requirements for the granting of an authorization. At least special conditions of the licensing and on the space objects are required.

In the future it is important that the granting of an authorization gets standardized, at least on the level of ESA or of the European Union and, even better, at an universal level. Only such standardization – as does exist in international aviation law – is one of the guarantees for the safeguarding of the most important standard of security and safety of space activities.