Letter from Chair of the RIO to the Chief Executive of the Civil Aviation Authority
Published 5 December 2025
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The Rt Hon Lord Willetts FRS
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
22 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2EG
‘Sent by email only’
21 October 2025
Dear Rob,
Regulatory Innovation Office and Spaceflight engagement
Thank you for meeting on the 2nd of October. I valued our discussion, which provided an excellent opportunity to agree a set of clear commitments that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will take forward.
As you know, over recent months, the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO), DfT, and the CAA have engaged in constructive discussions to identify further actions that the CAA have agreed to prioritise in support of the government’s commitment to driving growth and innovation within the UK space sector. These discussions have complemented ongoing work to deliver the priorities set out in the Space Regulatory Review 2024, including the implementation of the Rendezvous Proximity Operations (RPO) Sandbox, the development of technical frameworks, and support for ongoing work on financial reforms to the space sector.
I thought it helpful to formally summarise the additional actions we have mutually agreed and that the CAA will prioritise within the space sector, in alignment with existing ministerial annual letter of priorities. The work outlined below is all within the work programme for which DfT have agreed grant to the CAA for 2025/2026.
To attract new companies to license space missions in the UK and to drive the growth of the space sector, the CAA have agreed to provide commitments in the following areas:
1. Publish metrics that assess both performance and current practices aimed at improving the CAA’s licensing processes for space activities. We have discussed the value of making these metrics publicly available, as this will provide industry with greater clarity for business planning, support the ongoing evaluation of regulatory reforms, and demonstrate the CAA’s commitment to continuous improvement.
2. Adapt the orbital licensing process to deliver a more streamlined approach. We have discussed the merits of removing duplicative information requests regarding company information and repeated mission parameters so only information unique to the mission being licensed is required. This could take the form of a mission-wide “operator licence” with only mission-specific information requested to license new operations, removing significant information burdens.
3. Prioritisation and delivery on maximising the use of digitisation to deliver efficiencies for the licensing and monitoring, as well as space operator management. We have discussed the value of the CAA undertaking updates to IT systems to support space licensing recognising that enhanced digitisation will deliver greater efficiency, transparency, and responsiveness to industry. We have also highlighted the importance of transforming the CAA’s space regulatory guidance into a machine-readable format, making guidance more accessible and usable for space operators.
4. Considering where additional clarity on compliance conditions may aid operators and ensure they are not unfairly penalised for matters outside their control. For example, we have discussed the value in clarifying non-compliance conditions and breaches that could lead to licence revocation, which are beyond a company’s control.
5. Support the RIO in efforts to streamline environmental information requirements for UK launches. We recognise the value of regulatory coordination to better sequence requirements for environmental information across UK spaceports and launch activities.
We wish to thank you and your colleagues at the CAA for their openness and expertise on these issues. And we note the CAA has already taken steps to improve its licensing and regulatory function – including streamlining processes for assessing environmental information, running industry workshops, publishing improved guidance, streamlining applicant information requirements and improving transparency to improve the regulatory journey for industry.
The work our departments have already done in collaboration with your teams demonstrates the effectiveness of this partnership. DSIT and DfT officials will continue to work with you as you develop and deliver these actions.
These reforms will support the growth of the space sector by providing greater clarity and certainty, reducing the regulatory compliance burden on companies, and making the UK a more attractive destination for operators, particularly SMEs. The CAA are a key enabler to this sector and we look forward to working with you to realise the benefit to the UK.
Yours sincerely,
The Rt Hon Lord Willetts FRS
Chair of the Regulatory Innovation Office