US, UK Enter 'Landmark' Commercial Spaceflight Partnership

The United Kingdom and the United States have signed a commercial spaceflight agreement to reduce duplication for licensing and other regulatory red tape that will make launches cheaper and quicker for both sides, the UK transport department said on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th May, 2022) The United Kingdom and the United States have signed a commercial spaceflight agreement to reduce duplication for licensing and other regulatory red tape that will make launches cheaper and quicker for both sides, the UK transport department said on Friday.

The partnership was signed on Wednesday by UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

"The partnership will help launch cheaper, quicker and more streamlined spaceflight operations through close collaboration between the 2 countries on licensing of commercial space launches," the UK transport department� said.

UK and US commercial spaceflight operators will have easier access to either country's spaceports under the deal.

With the popularity of commercial space tourism on the rise, the two countries are also determined to keep launches safe, according to the statement.

The UK expects the new partnership to reduce its reliance on other countries to put British satellites into orbit and "(send) a clear signal to countries across the globe that the UK aims to be a European hub of space activity."

In March, Russian state space agency Roscosmos refused to continue launching OneWeb satellites as the British company could not guarantee that they would not be used for military purposes. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson then traveled to India in April and OneWeb contracted launches with the Indian space agency's commercial arm.

The UK also plans to launch a satellite from its soil for the first time later this year.