Space Minister Judith Collins and Environment Minister Penny Simmonds announced the decision, confirming the annual cap on launches will rise from 100 to 1,000 following a review of space vehicle launch debris regulations.
Minister Collins said the previous limit no longer reflected the scale or maturity of the sector.
“When the cap of 100 launches was set in 2017, New Zealand had very little launch activity,” she said. “Since then, the landscape has changed completely. We’re now the world’s third most frequent launcher of orbital rockets.
“With growth continuing at pace, the current limit is expected to be reached this year. Increasing the cap ensures our space and advanced aviation industries can keep expanding while still operating within clear environmental boundaries.”
Minister Simmonds said modelling showed the new limit would not be reached until at least 2050, giving industry long-term certainty for planning and investment.
“The decision follows a detailed review of space vehicle launch debris regulations in our exclusive economic zone and continental shelf,” she said. “That review assessed the environmental impacts of up to 1,000 launches and found the overall risk to be low.
“Without lifting the cap, every launch beyond the current limit would require a fully notified marine consent. That would slow innovation, add unnecessary cost and undermine the government’s commitment to providing investment certainty for a fast-growing sector that supports regional economies.”
The space and advanced aviation industries are among the fastest-growing parts of the New Zealand economy. The nation’s space sector contributed NZ$2.47 billion (AU$2.1 billion) in 2024, up 48 per cent compared with five years earlier.
Advanced aviation, which overlaps significantly with space activity, added an estimated NZ$480 million (AU$410 million) over the same period.
Minister Collins said the change was consistent with the government’s long-term ambitions, including a goal to double the size of the space and advanced aviation sectors by 2030.
“This is another example of the government focusing on the fundamentals while building for the future,” she said.