Space Industry Act 2018
The UK statute regulating spaceflight activities carried out from the United Kingdom — launch, return, spaceports, and range control — administered by the Civil Aviation Authority.
The Space Industry Act 2018 created the legal framework for a domestic UK launch industry, regulating spaceflight activities conducted from UK territory. It was brought into operation by the Space Industry Regulations 2021.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the regulator, issuing launch operator, spaceport, range control, and return operator licences. The regime is built around a safety case, an environmental assessment, and a modelled insurance requirement paired with a government-set liability cap.
It operates alongside the older Outer Space Act 1986, which governs UK persons operating satellites anywhere in the world.