WASHINGTON — A United Kingdom Parliament committee is asking on the federal government to revise its approach for licensing launches, warning it could fall behind international competitors if it fails to achieve this.
The House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee published a report July 14 that concluded that, based on the experience from the primary orbital launch attempt from the U.K. in January, reforms are needed to streamline the method and avoid delays.
“We recommend that the Government should convene all relevant bodies at once to take steps now to enhance the licensing system of UK satellite launch,” the report stated.
That conclusion was based largely on the delays securing a license from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for a Virgin Orbit launch from Spaceport Cornwall in January. The launch was planned for last fall but delayed until January because Virgin Orbit didn’t get a license from the CAA until mid-December. The CAA noted on the time that it issued the license 15 months after the beginning of the appliance process, “well throughout the expected timescales for a majority of these licences.”
That launch failed to achieve orbit, however the report said there was no evidence that the licensing process contributed to the failure. Virgin Orbit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April and has liquidated its assets.
Other firms are planning to launch from the U.K. and are working on obtaining launch licenses from the CAA. A few of those firms testified to the committee that, after a slow start, they’re seeing improvements within the regulatory process.
“We’re pleased to listen to that the regulatory experiences of the UK launch sector are moving in a positive direction, and we encourage the CAA to proceed this trajectory,” the report stated. “Nevertheless, more could be done to streamline the regulatory process to assist be sure that the UK launch sector can reach its full potential.”
Government officials, including George Freeman, the minister whose portfolio includes space, told the committee the federal government would review lessons learned from the Virgin Orbit licensing process and related topics. The committee backed that approach but said that the review should be done “at pace” and be accomplished by September.
The committee offered some recommendations for launch licensing streamlining within the report based on testimony from several firms. Those recommendations give attention to coordinating the varied organizations involved within the licensing process, reminiscent of making a “central portal” for firms to supply information at one time, fairly than having to supply similar data, in numerous formats, to individual organizations.
The report also warned that the reforms identified within the report “should be carried out urgently, and conclude by the tip of this 12 months, to avoid the UK losing its head start in launch.”
“The UK has huge opportunities within the burgeoning space and satellite industry. However the sector is global and fast-paced, and to keep up our position the UK must act urgently to applies the teachings of the Cornwall disappointment to the regulatory system for satellite launch,” Greg Clark, chair of the committee, said in a press release.
The CAA noted in a response to the report that it was already working on streamlining improvements identified by the committee. “We welcome the recommendations to further streamline and simplify the space licensing process and have made significant improvements already, with many more to return,” Tim Johnson, director of space regulation on the CAA, said in an agency statement.
The committee also used the report back to criticize more broadly the federal government’s attention to space matters. The report noted that a brand new National Space Council, an interagency body modeled on its U.S. counterpart, has yet to satisfy for the primary time months after the federal government said it was reestablishing it. A report on a national position, navigation and timing (PNT) strategy originally slated for release in 2021 has yet to be published.
“It’s symptomatic of a disjointed approach to concrete policy and leadership for the UK’s space and satellite sector which now risks hampering its potential,” the committee said of the delayed PNT strategy.