The Space Industry Regulations 2021

CHAPTER 6 Offences and penalties

Failure of launch director to check conditions met before operator’s spaceflight activities commence

124.  A launch director who fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with the obligation to check that the conditions in regulation 99(2) are met before an operator’s spaceflight activities commence, commits an offence.

Failure of flight termination personnel to follow obligation to make a flight termination decision

125.  A member of the flight termination personnel who fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with the obligation to make a flight termination decision in regulation 100(2), commits an offence.

Failure of a pilot in command or remote pilot to carry out obligations before the flight

126.  A pilot in command, or a remote pilot, who fails to comply with the obligations in regulation 114(a) or (b) before the flight, commits an offence.

Failure of pilot in command or remote pilot to carry out flight safely

127.  A pilot in command, or a remote pilot, who fails to comply with the obligations in regulation 115(1), commits an offence.

Failure of a pilot in command, flight crew or a remote pilot to remain at stations

128.—(1) A member of the flight crew who fails to comply with the requirement in regulation 116(1) to remain at that member’s station secured in their seat by a safety belt or other restraint device unless there is more than one member of the flight crew and the pilot in command permits the member to leave that station for the reasons referred to in regulation 116(1)(a) or (b), commits an offence.

(2) A pilot in command who leaves the pilot in command’s station for reasons other than those referred to in regulation 116(2)(a) to (c), commits an offence.

(3) A remote pilot who leaves the remote pilot’s station for reasons other than those referred to in regulation 116(3)(a) to (c), commits an offence.

Failure of a pilot in command to carry out obligations to a spaceflight participant about stations

129.  A pilot in command who fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with the requirement in regulation 117 to ensure that a spaceflight participant is seated at the spaceflight participant’s assigned station and secured in that spaceflight participant’s seat by a safety belt or other restraint device at the times or during the periods referred to in regulation 117(a) to (c), commits an offence.

Failure of a remote pilot to carry out obligations to a spaceflight participant about stations

130.  A remote pilot who fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with the requirement in regulation 118 to ensure that a spaceflight participant is seated at the spaceflight participant’s assigned station and secured in that spaceflight participant’s seat by a safety belt or other restraint device at the times or during the periods referred to in regulation 118(a) to (c), commits an offence.

Failure of a launch director or a safety manager to carry out obligations to a spaceflight participant about stations

131.—(1) A launch director referred to in regulation 119(1)(a), who fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with the requirement in regulation 119 to ensure that a spaceflight participant is seated at the spaceflight participant’s assigned station and secured in that spaceflight participant’s seat by a safety belt or other restraint device at the times or during the periods referred to in regulation 119(2)(a) to (c), commits an offence.

(2) A safety manager referred to in regulation 119(1)(b), who fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with the requirement in regulation 119 to ensure that a spaceflight participant is seated at the spaceflight participant’s assigned station and secured in that spaceflight participant’s seat by a safety belt or other restraint device at the times or during the periods referred to in regulation 119(2)(a) to (c), commits an offence.

Failure of a spaceflight participant to remain at station

132.  A spaceflight participant who fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with the requirement in regulation 121(1) to remain seated at the spaceflight participant’s assigned station and secured in that participant’s seat by a safety belt or other restraint device at all times or during all the periods referred to in regulations 117 to 119 unless one of the individuals listed in regulation 121(2) permits that participant to leave that station, commits an offence.

Penalties

133.  A person who is guilty of an offence under any of regulations 124 to 132 is liable—

(a) on summary conviction in England and Wales, to a fine;

(b) on summary conviction in Scotland or Northern Ireland, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum;

(c) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or a fine, or both.