UK to waive liability for some space missions until 2030
The Government Actuary’s Department said it had assessed the cost to taxpayers of insurance and liability reforms accompanying the new UK Space Strategy.
The UK is to waive operator liability for certain innovative space missions until 2030, under reforms accompanying the government’s new Space Strategy, the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) has said.
The waiver covers lunar missions and in-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM) missions.
The waiver applies to licences for such missions issued from 1 December 2026, according to the government’s response to the consultation that underpins the reforms. The change follows a recommendation from the Rendezvous and Proximity Operations regulatory sandbox.
Billions of pounds are set to be invested in the UK’s space sector under the strategy, which aims to drive economic growth, strengthen national security and support technologies that underpin modern life, GAD said.
The strategy document itself says it is backed by £7.8bn of investment to 2030.
The reforms follow the government’s earlier consultation on orbital liabilities, insurance, charging and space sustainability.
Other measures include what GAD called a “world-first variable liability limits approach for orbital operations”, and new “world-first approaches to providing third-party liability insurance”.
Under the new system, operators face a default liability limit of £50m. They can reduce that to £20m or zero by meeting UK Space Agency criteria on cyber and physical security, and on how they educate themselves on space sustainability.
The reforms also replace decommissioning funds for satellite constellations with “a more proportionate monitoring regime”, GAD said.
Any existing decommissioning fund set up to de-orbit satellites if a constellation operator becomes insolvent will be wound up. From then on the Civil Aviation Authority will balance risk and proportionality for any financial measures, which the government says allows a more proportionate approach to deposit and security requirements.
GAD said it had supported the UK Space Agency through actuarial analysis and risk assessment, helping government understand the potential costs to taxpayers and the benefits to operators of the proposals.
The Space Strategy sets out plans across seven subsectors, with four priority areas earmarked for faster development: satellite communications, ISAM, space domain awareness and assured access to space.
“Our role was to provide an evidence base for decision-makers, enabling them to balance innovation and growth with a clear understanding of the associated risks,” said GAD actuary Nick Clitheroe.
