The Space Industry Regulations 2021

Conditions for commencing the operator’s spaceflight activities

99.—(1) Before an operator’s spaceflight activities commence, the spaceflight operator or, where the operator’s spaceflight activities are authorised by a launch operator licence, the launch director, must be satisfied that the activities can be carried out safely and the conditions in paragraph (2) have been met.

(2) The conditions are that—

(a) a launch vehicle is fit for the operator’s spaceflight activities;

(b) the spaceport, or other place, from which the launch or landing is to take place is fit for the operator’s spaceflight activities and the spaceport licensee, if launch or landing is to take place from a spaceport, confirms that, in so far as that licensee’s responsibilities are concerned, these activities can be carried out safely;

(c) the range is fit for the operator’s spaceflight activities and the range control service provider confirms that, in so far as the responsibilities of that provider are concerned, these activities can be carried out safely;

(d) a rehearsal of the mission referred to in regulation 70(5) was conducted and the spaceflight operator was satisfied that the operator’s spaceflight activities could be carried out safely;

(e) the relevant emergency services have confirmed that they are on stand-by;

(f) where the launch vehicle has a flight safety system—

(i) a member of the flight termination personnel, if that system is not autonomous, or

(ii) a member of the operating staff responsible for such an autonomous system,

confirms that the flight safety system is ready to be used;

(g) where the operator’s spaceflight activities are authorised by a launch operator licence, the launch of the launch vehicle can take place at a time when the launch vehicle will not collide with any known space object during its flight or when it first reaches a stable orbit;

(h) where the operator’s spaceflight activities are authorised by a launch operator licence, the launch director and any flight termination personnel are present at the mission management facility or ground control at the spaceport or other place;

(i) such other operating staff as are necessary to carry out the operator’s spaceflight activities safely are present at the mission management facility or ground control at the spaceport or other place;

(j) the security manager has confirmed that the requirements of the operator security programme have been met;

(k) the prevailing meteorological and environmental conditions are suited to the spaceflight operator carrying out the operator’s spaceflight activities safely;

(l) any relevant safety operational procedures relating to the launch authorised by a launch operator licence or the return to earth authorised by a return operator licence in the safety operations manual have been followed.