Space Industry Act 2018

3 (1) It is an offence for a person unlawfully and intentionally— U.K.

(a) to destroy or damage property to which sub-paragraph (2) applies, or

(b) to interfere with the operation of such property,

if the destruction, damage or interference is likely to endanger the safety of a UK-launched spacecraft in flight.

(2) This sub-paragraph applies to property used for or in connection with operating a spacecraft, including—

(a) any carrier aircraft so used,

(b) any land, building or ship so used, and

(c) any apparatus or equipment so used, whether it is on board a spacecraft or elsewhere.

(3) It is also an offence for a person intentionally to communicate information that is false, misleading or deceptive in a material particular, if the communication of the information endangers, or is likely to endanger, the safety of a UK-launched spacecraft in flight.

(4) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under sub-paragraph (3) to prove—

(a) that he or she believed, and had reasonable grounds for believing, that the information was true, or

(b) that, when the person communicated the information, he or she was lawfully employed to perform duties that consisted of or included the communication of information and that he or she communicated the information in good faith in the performance of those duties.

(5) In this paragraph “unlawfully” has the same meaning as in paragraph 2.

Commencement Information

I1 Sch. 4 para. 3 in force at 29.7.2021 by S.I. 2021/817, reg. 2, Sch. para. 109 (with reg. 3)