Legislation – Space Industry Act 2018
Changes to legislation:
Space Industry Act 2018, Section 3 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 02 April 2026. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
Changes to Legislation
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Regulation of spaceflight etc
3Prohibition of unlicensed spaceflight etc
(1)
A person must not (subject to the following provisions)—
(a)
carry out spaceflight activities in the United Kingdom, or
(b)
operate a spaceport in the United Kingdom,
except under the authority of a licence under this section.
(2)
In this Act—
“operator licence” means a licence under this section authorising a person to carry out spaceflight activities;
“spaceport” means—
(a)
a site from which spacecraft or carrier aircraft are launched or (as the case may be) are to be launched, or
(b)
a site at which controlled and planned landings of spacecraft take place or (as the case may be) are to take place;
“spaceport licence” means a licence under this section authorising a person to operate a spaceport.
(3)
In subsection (2), the reference to a site in paragraph (b) of the definition of “spaceport” does not include an installation at sea that can be moved from place to place without major dismantling or modification.
(4)
A person does not require an operator licence to carry out, as employee or agent of another person, spaceflight activities that are authorised by an operator licence granted to that other person.
(5)
Regulations may make further provision for the purposes of this section, including in particular—
(a)
provision prescribing eligibility criteria for a licensee;
(b)
provision requiring prescribed roles to be undertaken by individuals on behalf of a licensee.
“Licensee” here means the holder of a licence under this section.
(6)
A person who acts in contravention of subsection (1) commits an offence.
(7)
It is an offence for a person—
(a)
to make a statement that the person knows to be false in a material particular, or
(b)
recklessly to make a statement that is false in a material particular,
for the purpose of obtaining a licence under this section (whether for the person making the statement or anyone else).