Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what his planned timetable is for publishing the Active Debris Removal Programme.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Active Debris Removal (ADR) is a core part of in-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing capabilities to support safe, secure and sustainable access to space. The Government recently awarded £4.7 million to Astroscale and ClearSpace to understand the risks and costs of an ADR mission to rendezvous with and deorbit two UK-licenced satellites. The UK Space Agency is developing the business case for Phase 3 of the ADR programme which, if successful, will be published for tender in mid-2025 to prepare for mission launch in 2028. Any future phase will be subject to funding decisions which will be taken through the Spending Review.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to limit the liability of licenced commercial spaceflight operators.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Guidance already specifies that all spaceflight operator licences issued under the Space Industry Act 2018 limit an operator’s liability. This Government will look at opportunities to amend Section 12(2) of the Act to make this clear in legislation under Section 36 of the Act.