The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
(): On Friday 5 March 2021, I published the
Government’s response to the consultations which were held in the
summer and autumn of 2020 on the secondary legislation which will
implement the Space Industry Act 2018. We sought views on the
operability and effectiveness of the draft space industry
regulations and associated guidance and supporting documents
(July); as well as the Government’s approach to liabilities,
insurance and charging (October). We also asked respondents to
provide evidence and test the assumptions in the
consultation-stage impact assessment.
This Government are committed to growing the space industry in
the UK and cementing our leading role in this sector by unlocking
a new era in commercial spaceflight across the UK. The draft
space industry regulations, together with draft instruments
covering accident investigation and appeals, will pave the way
for a new commercial licensing regime for spaceflight activities
from the UK. It will support safe and sustainable activities that
will drive research, innovation and entrepreneurship, exploiting
the unique environment of space. This will feed into our emerging
national space strategy as we develop our priorities for
levelling up the UK and promote the growth of this thriving
sector in the long term.
We also recognise the importance of ensuring that the environment
is protected from the adverse effects of spaceflight activities.
This is why the Space Industry Act 2018 requires applicants for a
launch or spaceport licence to submit an assessment of
environmental effects as part of their application. We also
published a consultation on 10 February, setting specific
environmental objectives for the spaceflight regulator to take
account of when considering these assessments, reinforcing
Government’s wider policies towards the environment and
sustainability.
Our spaceflight legislation has been designed from the outset to
support commercial operations. This, together with the technology
safeguards agreement signed with the US in June 2020, means that
the UK is well placed to attract new commercial opportunities in
this rapidly growing sector. Together with industry we set a
target to grow the UK’s share of the global space market to 10%
by 2030. Today we are a step closer to reaching this goal.
The Government welcome the thoughtful and detailed responses
received from across the four nations of the UK. Invaluable
insights were provided by those who responded to the consultation
and included enthusiastic responses from schoolchildren. We are
pleased to report that our modern regulatory framework was
supported by the vast majority of respondents, with many
applauding the flexibility of our proposed approach, which
fosters adaptability through an outcomes-based focus.
The response I am sharing today sets out the ways we have
adjusted the draft space industry regulations and associated
guidance material to reflect, and where possible accommodate, the
suggestions and recommendations made through the consultation
process. We believe that this collaborative approach will not
only strengthen the licensing regime we are implementing, but
demonstrates the Government’s ongoing commitment to growing this
exciting sector.
My Department has worked closely with the Department for
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the UK Space Agency and
Civil Aviation Authority to legislate for a wide range of new
commercial spaceflight technologies, including traditional
vertically launched vehicles, air-launched vehicles and
sub-orbital spaceplanes and balloons. It is our intention to
bring this legislation before the House later this year.
Next steps
Following the publication of the Government’s response I will
update the House once we are ready to submit the secondary
legislation for parliamentary scrutiny.
