European Space Agency (ESA)The intergovernmental agency that buys for its member states under its own contracting regulations and General Clauses and Conditions.EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)The EU agency in Prague that runs Galileo and EGNOS operations, GOVSATCOM and IRIS² user services and market uptake.NASAThe US civil space agency, buying under the FAR and the NASA FAR Supplement and partnering through Space Act Agreements.Space Development Agency (SDA)The US Space Force agency buying the proliferated low Earth orbit constellation in two-year tranches.
How they pay, break and allow assignment
| Buyer | How it pays | When it can walk away | Assignment and transfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Space Agency (ESA) | Fixed-price contracts are paid on milestones after ESA approves each one, within 30 days of the invoice. Advance payments are capped at 35% and advance plus progress payments at 90% of the price. | ESA may terminate without fault, taking over work in progress at a fair price and indemnifying losses, including the part of lost profit attributable to termination. | The contract cannot be transferred without ESA's prior authorisation, and an assignment of contract IP must be notified to ESA within four weeks. |
| EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) | Set by each framework and specific contract under the EU Financial Regulation. | Set by the contract under the EU Financial Regulation, including termination where the contractor falls into an exclusion situation. | The Union owns the tangible and intangible assets created under the Space Programme, with exceptions; contracts restrict transfer. |
| NASA | Space Act Agreements pay fixed milestone amounts after NASA accepts each milestone, invoiced through Treasury's Invoice Processing Platform; NASA's liability is limited to the funds obligated. | FAR contracts: termination for convenience. Space Act Agreements: NASA can terminate for reasons beyond its control or if the programme no longer fits its strategic objectives; the partner keeps payments made. | FAR contracts: Assignment of Claims Act and FAR 52.232-23. Space Act Agreements: no assignment of the agreement or any interest in it without NASA's written consent. |
| Space Development Agency (SDA) | Paid on the contract's milestone or delivery schedule under FAR and DFARS rules, invoiced through the Wide Area Workflow system. | Termination for convenience, with costs and a profit allowance, subject to appropriated funds being available for the settlement. | Assignment of Claims Act and FAR 52.232-23, on notice to the contracting officer. |
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General information on public law and standard terms as at 28 Oct 2026, not legal advice on any contract or transaction. Quoted wording is checked against the official text linked to it.