With its increasingly industry-friendly space policies, Britain is seeing a surge of activity in the growing field of small-satellite technology as the government aims for a regulatory environment supportive of space-based enterprise in the U.K. The government is reducing the amount of insurance that satellite companies must acquire before it will ensure third-party liability. Britain is also weighing how cubesats are regulated in an effort to shorten the time it takes operators of small satellites to acquire a license. Space is one of the U.K.'s fastest-growing sectors, contributing nearly £10 billion ($17 billion) a year to the nation's economy. With a 15-year plan to grow that to £40 billion by 2030, the government is increasing its investment in the sector, notably in the areas of telecommunications spacecraft, satellite navigation, Earth observation and weather forecasting.
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