Intellectual property for space innovation

Protecting Innovation Beyond Earth's Atmosphere

Space hardware is clever. The legal footprint around it is trickier. From propulsion stacks to mission names, we help founders, engineers, and investors protect what they've built before a competitor, collaborator, or regulator gets there first.

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Protecting innovation in orbit

A single launch can trigger five different IP questions. Who owns the code? Which mark is clear? What lives as a trade secret?

Our team works with propulsion designers, satellite operators, and aerospace software developers who need practical answers, not abstract theory. We look at the invention, the market, and the route to commercial launch, then build an IP structure that fits the pace of space development.

International filings matter too. A satellite service may be designed in Brooklyn, tested in New Mexico, and sold into three jurisdictions before the first payload leaves the pad. We help you think through ownership, licensing, and enforceability early, while the file is still being shaped.

Clear ownership pathways. Useful when founders, contractors, and research partners all touch the same prototype.

Launch-ready protection. Built around filing deadlines, publication risk, and the realities of pre-revenue aerospace teams.

International perspective. Because a patent filed only at home won't stop every problem abroad, will it?

Legal team reviewing satellite patent drawings in a modern meeting room with launch diagrams on a wall screen — We map the legal risk around the technology, then prioritise the filings that actually matter.

Our IP protection services

Built for aerospace teams that move fast

Patent strategy and filing

We help identify patentable elements in propulsion systems, satellite payloads, guidance software, and launch support tooling. What should be claimed? What should stay in-house until the application lands? Those decisions can shape valuation, fundraising, and future licensing.

Claim mapping for hardware, software, and manufacturing workflows
Filing roadmaps aligned to prototype milestones and publication dates
Portfolio review for spin-outs, joint ventures, and investor due diligence

Trademark protection

Mission names, launch vehicle branding, and platform marks deserve serious clearance work. Why risk a rebrand after market launch?

Trade secret safeguarding

Some of the best aerospace value sits outside the patent file. We structure NDAs, access controls, invention logs, and contractor protocols so you can protect proprietary launch processes without slowing the room down.

IP due diligence

In mergers and acquisitions, the patent schedule rarely tells the full story. We review chain of title, licence scope, open-source exposure, and enforcement gaps before the deal gets expensive.

Licensing and enforcement

When partnerships need to scale, we draft clean licensing terms and help you keep control of core technology.

Representative matters

Practical examples from the launch corridor

Small-satellite manufacture

Portfolio strategy for a compact bus platform

We assisted with an anonymised patent portfolio plan for a small-satellite manufacturer preparing to scale production. The issue wasn't just filing count; it was sequencing. Which application supported procurement now, and which invention needed a broader claim set for future mission variants?

A well-timed filing can be the difference between owning the architecture and merely describing it.

— Wandi V., portfolio lead

Launch brand clearance

Trademark review for a launch vehicle name

A launch team wanted a name that sounded sharp, memorable, and investor-friendly. Fair enough. We ran clearance analysis across aerospace, logistics, and adjacent hardware classes, then flagged conflicts before the brand went public.

Why did we choose Stellar Draft? Because they spotted the brand risk before our launch video was even cut.

— Quetzalli T., commercial director

Propulsion R&D

Trade secret protocol for a propulsion lab

For an R&D team developing proprietary fuel-handling methods, we built a practical confidentiality protocol. The goal was simple: keep the know-how protected without making engineers jump through pointless hoops on every test cycle.

The process finally matched the pace of the lab. No drama. Just control.

— Haykal A., engineering operations manager

Safeguard your space technology today

Ready to protect the idea before it leaves the clean room?

We can review your current IP position, highlight gaps, and outline a filing or confidentiality plan that fits the next funding round. NDA-covered conversations are standard practice, and we treat sensitive technical details with the care they deserve.

Book an IP strategy session

Contact

Talk to a lawyer who speaks space and contracts

Office 257 Cornelia Street, New York, New York 11221, USA

Call +13058851917

Email [email protected]