10981 (2024). Hon Rachel Brooking to the Minister for Space

10981 (2024). Hon Rachel Brooking to the Minister for Space: Does the Minister regard space launch payloads where the intended end use is likely to cause serious or irreversible harm to the environment, as being against New Zealand's national interest?

Hon Judith Collins: All permitted activities for payloads must be consistent with our domestic laws and policies and our international obligations. All payload permit applications under the Outer Space and High Altitude Activities Act undergo a national interest test. In 2019 Cabinet agreed a set of activities not in the national interest, including: • payloads where the intended end use is likely to cause serious or irreversible harm to the environment • payloads with the intended end use of supporting or enabling specific defence, security or intelligence operations that are contrary to government policy • payloads that contribute to nuclear weapons programmes or capabilities • payloads with the intended end use of harming, interfering with, or destroying other spacecraft, or systems on Earth No permit has been issued which is inconsistent with this set of activities deemed to be not in the national interest.