The Aviation Administration has granted Spaceport Cornwall an operating license allowing it to host the UK’s first space launch.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the Newquay site could be used to send satellites into space.
The first mission is expected to be carried out by Virgin Orbit in the coming weeks.
The mission has been titled Start Me Up in honor of the Rolling Stones.
A converted Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 named Cosmic Girl and Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket flew from California to Spaceport Cornwall last month.
The 747 will take off horizontally while carrying the missile before dropping at 35,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean south of Ireland.
The aircraft will return to the spaceport while the rocket will fire its engine and launch several small satellites into orbit with a variety of civilian and military applications.
The CAA said Spaceport Cornwall has demonstrated that it has met the appropriate safety and environmental considerations to operate a spaceport in the UK.
CAA chief executive Richard Moriarty said the grant of the license was a “historic moment” for the UK.
“We are proud to be doing our part to support the UK’s space ambitions by assessing the safety, security and other requirements of these activities,” he said.
“This is another important milestone in making this country a leading launch nation.”
British-made satellites have traditionally had to be sent to foreign spaceports to get them into space.
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