WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate Armed Services Committee's version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act requires the Department of Defense to assess its space law requirements. This assessment includes examining options for establishing a dedicated legal organization within the Air Force, Space Force, or Space Command.

The committee's report accompanying the act states that operational demands in the space domain have increased, citing reliance on commercial integration, allied and partner cooperation, and dual-use technologies. It expresses concern that the Department of Defense's existing legal, policy, and institutional structures may not have progressed at the same pace as the complexity of space operations.

According to the report, the U.S. Space Force currently lacks its own legal corps, a formalized training pipeline, or an enduring mechanism to develop specialized space law expertise. The Space Force presently shares uniformed lawyers with the Air Force.

The report also indicates that the growing complexity of international space law, civil-military partnerships, commercial integration, dual-use technologies, and industrial base considerations necessitates enhanced, domain-specific legal capacity. In April 2026, the Space Force identified legal maneuvering from China and Russia as a concern for its operations.

The Space Force document 'Future Operating Environment 2040' notes that China and Russia have utilized international and domestic legal frameworks and regulatory mechanisms to degrade opponents' capabilities, weaken opposing coalitions, and gain international support. This document also states that international space law has remained largely unchanged since the four foundational United Nations treaties were established in the 1960s and 1970s. The document further states that lawfare presents an asymmetric approach to restricting U.S. freedom of action within the space domain.

The National Defense Authorization Act mandates that the chief of space operations, the Air Force secretary, the head of Space Command, and the Defense Legal Services Agency collectively examine current and projected requirements for space law expertise. A report detailing these findings must be submitted to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees by December 1, 2026.