Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their agreement with the government of the United States of America regarding space launches from the UK will permit launches by US companies in competition with those based in the UK.

The Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) establishes the principles under which US spaceflight technology (including launch vehicles, equipment, information, spacecraft) may be licensed for export by the US authorities to the UK for use in spaceflight activities.

The TSA was negotiated to deliver maximum possible commercial benefit to the UK, permitting spaceports to utilise both US and non-US operators.

The UK has a lot to offer and a lot to gain from working with the US. With the necessary export licences in place, of which the TSA provides the security framework under which the US export approval process can be made easier and quicker, it will allow US satellite customers to launch on UK launchers therefore providing great opportunities for UK launch providers to increase their access to customers from the US.