Rob Bishton, the chief executive of the CAA, said: “Granting a home-grown company, Skyrora, its launch licence is a major milestone for our space sector and our nation.
“Our work as the UK’s space regulator is enabling the burgeoning launch industry to safely grow, bringing new jobs and investment with it.”
Skyrora chief executive Volodymyr Levykin said the journey to getting the license was a “long but ultimately rewarding one”.
He added: “Becoming the first homegrown company in the UK to receive a vertical launch operator licence is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone at Skyrora.
“Safety is paramount to us, and so we are grateful to the CAA for its diligence in ensuring any launch activity is held to the highest of standards.
“Skyrora is proud to be leading efforts that enable launch activity from the UK and we look forward to achieving a reliable commercial launch programme that benefits us all.”