https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/c...ish-spaceports
New Agreement Enables Use Of U.S. Launchers From British Spaceports
Lomdon and Washington have signed off on security arrangements that will pave the way for U.S. cubesat and small-satellite launchers to be lofted into low Earth orbit from UK spaceports.
Two years in the making, the Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA), signed in Washington on June 17, permits U.S. companies to operate from UK spaceports and eases the export of space launch technology between the two countries. While it is not unusual for one country to want to launch satellites from another, transferring the launch systems is wrapped in complexity—due in part to counterproliferation rules such as the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), to which the UK and U.S. are both signatories.
“Space launch vehicles are technically indistinguishable from weapon delivery systems, so transferring a space launch vehicle from one country to another is caught by the MTCR,” Andrew Kuh, head of international spaceflight policy at the UK Space Agency, tells Aviation Week. Kuh has been closely involved in the negotiations. “The TSA sets out how the U.S. and UK governments will work together to ensure that technology is not transferred . . . [and] making sure it is handled in an appropriate manner,” Kuh adds........
One of the clear beneficiaries of the TSA is Lockheed Martin, which secured £31 million ($39 million) in funding from the UK Space Agency in July 2018 to set up launch operations from Space Hub Sutherland in northern Scotland with U.S.-developed launchers. Company officials had previously suggested they could use the Electron launcher, leaning on their partnership with Rocket Lab. The agreements also smooths the way for Virgin Orbit, which received funding to support horizontal launch operations from Cornwall Airport Newquay in England.......
Before launches begin, however, the TSA needs to be ratified by the British Parliament. Lawmakers also must approve the UK’s new Spaceflight Regulations, which are expected to move to a public consultation phase this summer. The regulations will build on the UK’s regulatory framework for aviation and will confirm how licenses will be granted for spaceports, launch vehicle operators, and for the provision of range and control services.
While U.S. launch companies may undertake the first launches from the UK, several British satellite launch companies such as Orbex and Skyrora are waiting in the wings to join them. Skyrora recently carried out a full static firing of its Skylark L suborbital rocket, work that supports the development of its three-stage Skyrora XL launcher.
Canada-based launch company C6 Launch Systems Inc. has said it wants to use the planned Shetland Space Center, a vertical launch site planned for Saxa Vord in the Shetland Islands. The company told Aviation Week that it does not expect any export restrictions for its launch vehicle, although the UK/U.S. TSA will help with the export of the engines.
The UK is seen as an attractive launch location for access to polar and sun-synchronous orbits.......
Britain wants to be able to launch satellites as part of its strategy to grow the country's domestic space industry and capture 10% of the global commercial space market by 2030, equivalent to around £40 billion.