{
  "node_id": "uk-space-industry-act-2018-launch-authorisation-insurance",
  "title": "UK Space Industry Act 2018 - Launch Authorisation, Operator Licensing, and Insurance Requirements for Commercial Spaceflight",
  "domain": "Space & Satellite Law",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "last_updated": "2026-05-09",
  "bluf": "The UK Space Industry Act 2018 (SIA) establishes the domestic legal framework for regulating commercial spaceflight activities from the United Kingdom, including vertical launches, horizontal launches, and sub-orbital flight operations. The Act requires operators to obtain an operator licence and a launch site licence before conducting regulated activities. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the primary regulatory authority for spaceflight licensing. Operators must carry third-party liability insurance at a level specified by the regulator, and the Secretary of State must authorise each individual launch or series of launches. The SIA implements the UK's international obligations under the OST, Liability Convention, and Registration Convention in the context of commercial spaceflight.",
  "paywall": {
    "status": "LOCKED",
    "unlock_cost_usd": "0.01",
    "skyfire_id": "41779894-ece2-4163-9761-b3b1b76e19b0"
  },
  "crosswalks": {
    "_available_keys": [
      "nist_framework",
      "iso_standard",
      "industry_mapping",
      "ai_overlay_2026"
    ],
    "_note": "Full crosswalk values included in vault response"
  },
  "dependencies": [
    "un-outer-space-treaty-1967-article-vi-state-responsibility",
    "intl-outer-space-treaty-1967-article-7-liability-damage"
  ],
  "primary_citations_count": 5
}