WELLINGTON, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand will raise its space launch limit from 100 to 1,000 to fuel the growth of its space and advanced aviation sectors, the government announced Thursday.
The change follows a review of regulations for space vehicle launch debris in New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf, which found low environmental risk from up to 1,000 launches, said Environment Minister Penny Simmonds.
Projections show the new limit will not be reached until at least 2050, giving long-term certainty for industry planning and investment, Simmonds said, adding that without lifting the limit, additional launches would have required a time-consuming marine consent process.
The space sector contributed 2.47 billion New Zealand dollars (about 1.5 billion U.S. dollars) to the economy in 2024, up 48 percent in five years, while advanced aviation added an estimated 480 million New Zealand dollars (about 290.77 million U.S. dollars), official statistics showed. ■