Standards Development

Scope

This BSI Flex provides guidance on the environmental considerations for organizations planning, designing and/or operating any part of the orbital and suborbital space launch lifecycle. Its focus is to promote sustainable launch through identification of launch lifecycle environmental impacts and planning for mitigation actions leading to minimizing such impacts.

NOTE 1 The guidance contained in this document is aligned with the UK space and town and country planning regulatory regimes; however, it does not replace them. Safety and regulatory compliance have primacy over the guidance in this BSI Flex.

It covers how organizations:

a)    incorporate environmental considerations and mitigations into their designs, supply chain, manufacturing and/or constructions;

b)    incorporate environmental considerations and mitigations into their planning and execution of operations;

c)     assess engineering and operational options to reduce environmental impact; and

d)    minimize the environmental impact of all phases of the launch lifecycle, from material extraction, through production and operation to decommissioning.

NOTE 2 IWA 42, Net zero guidelines, provides guidance on development of credible, holistic, net zero strategies.

This BSI Flex provides a guidance framework for launch organizations to help them deliver the least environmentally impacting products and operations.

NOTE 3 This is intended to increase the transparency and sustainability of organizations, and supports the journey towards ESG best practice and industry standardization.

This BSI Flex is applicable to both orbital and suborbital launch systems and operations.

This BSI Flex is intended for use by launch service providers, spaceports, ranges and payload providers, launch brokers and their supply chains. It might also be of interest to those concerned with commissioning launches and/or seeking payload capacity. It is applicable UK-wide, and its guidance is available to be used by organizations internationally.