GPS III Space Vehicle 01 is launched from Cape Canaveral aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 on December 23, 2018.
The Australian Space Agency (ASA) has called for input on the Space Activities Amendment (Launches and Returns) Act 2018, which intends to establish a draft regulatory framework for Australian space activities.
The 2018 amendments update the 1998 Space Activities Act, with the aim of bringing into law a regulatory system that reflects the reality on the ground and in orbit in 2019.
Following the establishment of a national space agency and the rapid development of the Australian space sector and space-reliant industries, the amendment:
- includes licensing arrangements for launches from aircraft in flight
- streamlines the approval process for launches and returns
- balances safety and risk of potential damage with the national interest in a changing environment
- adjusts insurance requirements to appropriate risk levels and international norms
- reduces barriers to participation for small Australian space industry companies
- increases non-compliance penalties to reflect the seriousness of damage to people and property
- introduces safeguards for high power rocket activities
The amended act passed both houses of parliament in August 2018, and now needs to be fleshed out with rules to support it.
The agency is seeking written views on three sets of rules, and is accepting submissions until June 14. Find out more and make your voice heard at the ASA website.
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