By Lucy Craymer
WELLINGTON (Reuters) -The New Zealand government passed legislation on Wednesday to regulate the use of ground-based space infrastructure following concerns about foreign actors using it to harm national security.
Space Minister Judith Collins said in a statement that the Outer Space High Altitude Activities Amendment Bill would take effect on July 29 and from then ground-based space infrastructure such as satellite tracking stations and telemetry systems would be subject to oversight and safeguards.
The law “supports New Zealand’s interest in the safe, secure and responsible use of space and stop any attempts by foreign entities that do not share our values or interests,” Collins said. “Ground-based space infrastructure in New Zealand plays a vital role in supporting global satellite operations and space activities, but without regulation, it can also pose risks to national security, and other national interests.”
Under the new law, anyone operating ground-based space infrastructure will need to confirm with the government that they have appropriate security arrangements in place and due diligence systems to assess any partners.
The South Pacific nation’s location and clear skies make it a good place to launch and monitor satellites from, with the European Space Agency among those keeping an eye on space from New Zealand.
The new regulations, which were flagged at the end of 2024, come after New Zealand’s intelligence service raised concerns last September that some foreign entities had tried to establish space infrastructure, which would have “assisted foreign military activity that could have harmed New Zealand interests.”
“They have deliberately disguised their affiliations to foreign militaries and misrepresented their intentions,” Collins told parliament on Tuesday.
While neither the minister nor the report mentioned China specifically in relation to the incidents, the broader report noted that China remained a complex intelligence concern in New Zealand but there were other states undertaking malicious activity as well.
New Zealand is a member of the “Five Eyes” intelligence grouping, along with the U.S., Australia, Canada and Britain.
(Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
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