Space Industry Act 2018

1 Introduction U.K.

(1) This Act has effect for the purpose of regulating—

(a) space activities,

(b) sub-orbital activities, and

(c) associated activities,

carried out in the United Kingdom.

(2) For the purposes of this Act, a person carries out a space activity or sub-orbital activity if the person causes it to occur or is responsible for its continuing.

(3) In section 1 of the Outer Space Act 1986 (activities to which that Act applies)—

(a) omit “whether carried on in the United Kingdom or elsewhere”;

(b) at the end of the existing text (which becomes subsection (1)) insert—

“(2) This Act does not apply to activities carried on in the United Kingdom (and accordingly does not apply to activities requiring authorisation under section 3(1) of the Space Industry Act 2018).”

(4) In this Act—

• “space activity” means—

  (a)

  launching or procuring the launch or the return to earth of a space object or of an aircraft carrying a space object,

  (b)

  operating a space object, or

  (c)

  any activity in outer space;

• “sub-orbital activity” means launching, procuring the launch of, operating or procuring the return to earth of—

  (a)

  a craft to which subsection (5) applies, or

  (b)

  an aircraft carrying such a craft,

  but does not include space activity.

(5) This subsection applies to—

(a) a rocket or other craft that is capable of operating above the stratosphere;

(b) a balloon that is capable of reaching the stratosphere carrying crew or passengers.

(6) Space activities and sub-orbital activities are referred to in this Act as “spaceflight activities”.

Commencement Information

I1 S. 1(1) in force at 29.7.2021 by S.I. 2021/817, reg. 2, Sch. para. 1 (with reg. 3)

I2 S. 1(2) in force at 29.7.2021 by S.I. 2021/817, reg. 2, Sch. para. 2 (with reg. 3)

I3 S. 1(3) in force at 29.7.2021 for specified purposes by S.I. 2021/817, reg. 2, Sch. para. 3 (with reg. 3) (as amended by S.I. 2021/874, regs. 1(2), 2(2))

I4 S. 1(4) in force at 29.7.2021 for specified purposes by S.I. 2021/817, reg. 2, Sch. para. 4 (with reg. 3) (as amended by S.I. 2021/874, regs. 1(2), 2(2))

I5 S. 1(5) in force at 26.11.2018 by S.I. 2018/1224, reg. 2(a)

I6 S. 1(6) in force at 29.7.2021 by S.I. 2021/817, reg. 2, Sch. para. 5 (with reg. 3)