Legislation – Space Industry Act 2018
SCHEDULE 4Offences against the safety of spacecraft etc
Interpretation
8
(1)
In this Schedule—
“act of violence” means—
(a)
an act done in the United Kingdom that constitutes the offence of murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, culpable homicide or assault or an offence under section 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28 or 29 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861 or under section 2 of the Explosive Substances Act 1883;
(b)
an act done outside the United Kingdom that, if done in the United Kingdom, would constitute an offence mentioned in paragraph (a);
“article” includes any substance, whether in solid or liquid form or in the form of a gas or vapour;
“constable” includes any person who has the powers and privileges of a constable;
“explosive” means any article manufactured for the purpose of producing a practical effect by explosion, or intended for that purpose by a person having the article with him or her;
“firearm” includes an airgun or air pistol;
“property” includes any article of any description;
“UK-launched spacecraft” or “UK-launched carrier aircraft” means a spacecraft or carrier aircraft that has been launched, or (as the case may be) is to be launched, in the United Kingdom.
(2)
For the purposes of this Schedule, the period during which a spacecraft or carrier aircraft is in flight is treated as including—
(a)
in the case of a manned spacecraft or a carrier aircraft, any period from the moment when all its external doors or hatches are closed following embarkation until the moment when any external door or hatch is opened for disembarkation;
(b)
in the case of an unmanned spacecraft, any period from the moment of ignition of any of its engines in preparation for launch until the first moment after landing when none of its engines is still running;
(c)
in the case of a forced landing, any period until the competent authorities take over responsibility for the spacecraft or carrier aircraft and for any persons and property on board.
References to a spacecraft or carrier aircraft having completed a flight are to be read accordingly.