Photo: RNZ/ Nate McKinnon
Details regarding RocketLab in this story have been amended.
Rocket Lab says very strict laws control what can and cannot be launched into space from New Zealand.
This follows criticism from an associate professor of security studies, Damien Rogers, who told Morning Report today launches that support US military aims have not been questioned enough.
Responding through a statement, Rocket Lab said that every satellite payload must get approved by the Space Agency and the minister.
"Robust regulations govern all satellites launched from New Zealand and the law is very strict about what can and cannot be launched," it said.
That would not happen if a payload contributed to nuclear weapons programmes, or to wars in space, or to security operations contrary to government policy, it added.
Payloads also had to be consistent with New Zealand's obligations to the UN and international laws and commitments, it said.
Rocket Lab launches from Māhia, but its US arm launches increasingly from US launchpads, where it does not need New Zealand approval. Many of these launches are for, or linked, to the American military, which has a new strategy to use commercial space companies much more.
The National Party has said it would streamline the space payload approvals here, replacing the case-by-case approvals with a blanket criteria.
It has also said it would establish test areas for space and aerospace exempt from the "usual compliance regimes".
What its timeline for this is, is not clear.
Rogers said it was known that launches from New Zealand had supported military communications systems.
It was "steeped in that narrative that America's enemies are now somehow New Zealand's enemies", he said, referring to a new threat assessment report from the SIS spy agency.
The report did not discuss at all whether threats to US hegemony then by default became designated as threats here, he said.
"New Zealanders should be very wary of these kinds of comments and commitments in these important documents."
The SIS also referred to New Zealand's robust space launch rules, and how it and the GCSB assessed payloads, in an interview with Nine to Noon on Tuesday.
Asked about National's plans to streamline the rules, and what input it had had, the agency told RNZ: "The role of NZSIS is to fulfil our legislative mandate, not to speculate publicly on any future legal or policy changes.
"Nor would it be appropriate for NZSIS to discuss publicly any input we may or may not have into any policy or legislative reviews."
Rocket Lab said on Wednesday that New Zealand was reliant on national security and military satellites for defence purposes, disaster responses like during Cyclone Gabrielle and everyday life, including GPS which is run by the US Department of Defence.
"They play a crucial role in providing communications, information gathering, and situational awareness to New Zealand forces around the world and at home, including during natural disasters to enable humanitarian relief efforts," it said.
