- government publishes consultation response to spaceflight
environmental objectives
- guidance sets out how regulator should consider climate
change, air quality, noise and the marine environment when
deciding launch and spaceport licence applications
- paves the way for a range of spaceflight activities to take
place from the UK in the future
The first launch into space from British soil has taken another
leap forward as the government today (25 June 2021) publishes its
response to a consultation
setting out how the regulator should meet environmental
objectives for spaceflight.
As part of the 6-week consultation, the government set out
guidance on how the
regulator – which will oversee all launch and space activity from
the UK – should consider the environment when deciding launch and
spaceport licence applications, helping to ensure space
travel fits into a modern, greener Britain.
Following consultation responses, the government is not proposing
to make changes to the 4 environmental objectives covering
climate change, air quality, noise and the marine environment but
will make minor clarifications to the guidance.
This includes specifying that where spaceports are located on the
coast, the regulator is required to assess impacts on the
shoreline, estuaries and internal waters as well as the sea, and
the requirement for operators to use specific methods for
estimating the likelihood of waking people from night-time
launches.
This work forms part of the government’s spaceflight programme
and will pave the way for a range of commercial spaceflight and
scientific endeavours to operate within the UK in the future.
Transport Minister said:
Earth observation is essential for improving our understanding
of climate change and the UK’s world-leading efforts to tackle
it.
Today is an important step towards our commitment to growing
the UK space sector and cementing our role on a global scale by
unlocking a new era in spaceflight for the country. And as we
embark on this exciting development, we’re making sure launches
into space from UK soil reflect our green ambitions for the
future.
The UK space sector has established technical expertise that
already makes a significant contribution to global efforts to
monitor and understand the Earth’s environment. By bringing
spaceflight to UK soil, this expertise can be put to further good
use while benefiting the economy and jobs market.
The Space Industry Act
2018 and regulations made under it are a critical part of the
government’s commercial spaceflight programme. It aims to enable
the UK to be the first country in Europe to achieve small
satellite launch, generating growth for the UK’s economy and
establishing the foundations for ongoing market growth and
commercial sustainability.
Under the act, applicants for a spaceport or launch operator
licence are required to submit an assessment of environmental
effects as part of their application and this will form part of
any decision making when it comes to deciding licence
applications and conditions.
It is expected that the regulator will start receiving licence
applications later this summer when the regulations come into
force, enabling the first launches from UK spaceports from 2022.
