High

Hydrazine fuel leakage

Leakage of highly toxic hydrazine propellant during handling, fuelling, or in-orbit operations, posing severe health and environmental hazards.

REACH Regulation (EC 1907/2006) EU

Obligations (1)

REACH compliance for hazardous substances

High

Manufacturers must register, evaluate, and obtain authorisation for use of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) in satellite components.

REACH Regulation (EC 1907/2006)

Opportunities (2)

Electric propulsion systems

Medium

Adopt electric propulsion (ion or Hall-effect thrusters) to reduce propellant mass, eliminate toxic fuels, and enable more flexible mission profiles.

Green propellant adoption

High

Transition to non-toxic propellants such as AF-M315E or LMP-103S to eliminate hydrazine-related risks and simplify handling procedures, reducing costs and environmental impact.