The United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA) is an
executive agency
An executive agency is a part of a government department that is treated as managerially and budgetarily separate, to carry out some part of the executive functions of the United Kingdom government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government or N ...
of the
Government of the United Kingdom
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, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
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, caption = Royal Arms
, date_es ...
, responsible for the
United Kingdom's civil space programme. It was established on 1 April 2010 to replace the
British National Space Centre
The British National Space Centre (BNSC) was an agency of the Government of the United Kingdom, organised in 1985, that coordinated civil space activities for the United Kingdom. It was replaced on 1 April 2010 by the United Kingdom Space Age ...
(BNSC) and took over responsibility for government policy and key budgets for space exploration;
it represents the United Kingdom in all negotiations on space matters.
The Agency "
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Ring may refer to:
* Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry
* To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell
:(hence) to initiate a telephone connection
Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...
together all UK civil space activities under one single management".
It is based at the former BNSC headquarters in
Swindon,
Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
.
History and aims
The creation of the UK Space Agency was first publicly announced and strongly supported by UK Minister of State for Science and Innovation,
Lord Drayson
Paul Rudd Drayson, Baron Drayson (born 5 March 1960), is a British businessman, amateur racing driver and Labour politician. He was Minister of Science in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills until May 2010, where he replaced I ...
, on 10 December 2009 during a speech at the Rutherford Appleton Lab (RAL) space conference. As the UK Space Agency neared its official opening day,
Lord Mandelson
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson (born 21 October 1953) is a British Labour Party politician who served as First Secretary of State from 2009 to 2010. He was President of the Board of Trade in 1998 and from 2008 to 2010. He is the ...
, Lord Drayson and astronaut
Tim Peake
Major Timothy Nigel Peake (born 7 April 1972) is a British Army Air Corps officer, European Space Agency astronaut and a former International Space Station (ISS) crew member.
He is the first British ESA astronaut, the second astronaut to b ...
announced its establishment at the
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre
The Queen Elizabeth II Centre is a conference facility located in the City of Westminster, London, close to the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Central Hall Westminster and Parliament Square.
History
The site now occupied by the Queen ...
on 23 March 2010.
Around £230 million of funding and management functions were merged into the UK Space Agency from other organisations.
"Improving co-ordination of UK efforts in fields such as Earth science, telecoms and space exploration" will form part of its remit, according to Lord Drayson.
Prior to the creation of the Agency, the space and satellite industry in the UK was valued at £9 billion and supported 68,000 jobs. The 20-year aim of the Agency is to increase the industry to £40 billion and 100,000 jobs,
and to represent 10% of worldwide space products and services (increasing from the current 6%). This plan arises from the "Space Innovation and Growth Strategy" (Space-IGS) report, published by the
Space Innovation and Growth Team in February 2010.
Dr David Williams was appointed Acting Chief Executive on 1 April 2010 and he was confirmed as the first CEO on 1 April 2011. At the ESA Council at Ministerial level in November 2012 the UK budget for space was significantly increased.
Alice Bunn is the International Director.
Although Space-IGS called for the UK to double
European Space Agency (ESA) contributions and to initiate and lead at least three missions between now and 2030, this has not been committed to, with Lord Drayson stating that "We will require a compelling business case for each proposal or mission".
Transfers of authority
The UK Space Agency took over the following responsibilities from other government organisations:
* All responsibilities, personnel, and assets of the
British National Space Centre
The British National Space Centre (BNSC) was an agency of the Government of the United Kingdom, organised in 1985, that coordinated civil space activities for the United Kingdom. It was replaced on 1 April 2010 by the United Kingdom Space Age ...
*
ESA
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, headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France
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, spaceport = Guiana Space Centre
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, seal_size = 130px
, image = Views in the Main Control Room (120 ...
subscriptions from
Natural Environment Research Council
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is a British research council that supports research, training and knowledge transfer activities in the environmental sciences.
History
NERC began in 1965 when several environmental (mainly geog ...
,
Science and Technology Facilities Council
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is a United Kingdom government agency that carries out research in science and engineering, and funds UK research in areas including particle physics, nuclear physics, space science and astro ...
and
Technology Strategy Board
Innovate UK is the United Kingdom's innovation agency, which provides money and support to organisations to make new products and services. It is a non-departmental public body operating at arm's length from the Government as part of the United ...
,
including project grants and post-launch support
* UK elements of the space components of
Global Monitoring for Environment and Security
Copernicus is the European Union's Earth observation programme coordinated and managed for the European Commission by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), the EU Member States.
...
, and the
Galileo satellite navigation system
* The financial interest in the
European Union Satellite Centre
The European Union Satellite Centre (EU SatCen; previously EUSC) is the agency of the European Union (EU) that supports the EU's decision-making in the field of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), including crisis management mission ...
(agreed in principle)
* Space technology and instrumentation funding from the
Research Councils UK
Research Councils UK, sometimes known as RCUK, was a non-departmental public body which coordinated science policy in the United Kingdom from 2002 to 2018. It was an umbrella organisation that coordinated the seven separate research councils t ...
and
Technology Strategy Board
Innovate UK is the United Kingdom's innovation agency, which provides money and support to organisations to make new products and services. It is a non-departmental public body operating at arm's length from the Government as part of the United ...
On 31 January 2021, ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was f ...
'' reported that following a government "Space Landscape Review" responsibility for space policy and strategy was being transferred to the
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Earlier, responsibility for regulation, such as for spacecraft launch, had been transferred to the
Civil Aviation Authority. A new
cabinet committee, the National Space Council, was soon due to have its first meeting following its announcement in the 2019
Queen's Speech.
UK Space Gateway
The UK Space Gateway at
Harwell, Oxfordshire is a focal point for growth in the UK's space sector. Harwell is home to a growing number of space organisations including start-ups, inward investors, corporate offices, the Satellite Applications Catapult, RAL Space and ESA's ECSAT Facility. As of April 2016, the site is estimated to host over 600 space-related employees working in circa 60 organisations.
The European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT)
ESA
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, seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png
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’s UK facility, ECSAT, has been developing steadily since 2008, following the UK government’s decision to increase its contribution to ESA. Named after the ESA's first British Director General, Roy Gibson, ECSAT's building hosts 100+ jobs including teams in telecommunications and integrated applications. Special emphasis is put on the development of new markets for satellite-based services and applications. In addition, new satellite, ground infrastructure and product developments are being initiated through original schemes of public–private partnerships with world-class operators. The building also houses the Earth Observation Climate Office, Science and Exploration teams and Technology and Quality Management teams supporting ESA research and development programmes in the UK, focusing on 'game-changing' technologies and capabilities.
Satellite Applications Catapult
The Satellite Applications Catapult is an independent innovation and technology company, created as part of the
Catapult centres
Catapult centres are organisations set up from 2011 onwards by Innovate UK in the United Kingdom to promote research and development through business-led collaboration between scientists and engineers to exploit market opportunities. They receiv ...
programme to foster growth across the economy through the exploitation of space. The Catapult helps organisations make use of and benefit from satellite technologies, and bring together multi-disciplinary teams to generate ideas and solutions in an open innovation environment. It was established in May 2013 by
Innovate UK
Innovate UK is the United Kingdom's innovation agency, which provides money and support to organisations to make new products and services. It is a non-departmental public body operating at arm's length from the Government as part of the United ...
(formerly known as the Technology Strategy Board) as one of a network of centres to accelerate the take-up of emerging technologies and drive economic growth. It is a not-for-profit research organisation which is registered as a private company limited by guarantee and controlled by its Board.
International Space Innovation Centre
A £40m International Space Innovation Centre (ISIC) was created in 2011 at Harwell
alongside the research facility for
ESA
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. Some of its tasks were to investigate climate change, and the security of space systems. £24m of the cost of the centre was to be funded by the government, with the remainder from industry.
In April 2013, ISIC merged into the newly formed Satellite Applications Catapult.
Abandoned independent satellite navigation system
In November 2018, the British government announced that the UK Space Agency would abandon ties to the
European Space Agency's
Galileo navigation system
Galileo is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) that went live in 2016, created by the European Union through the European Space Agency (ESA), operated by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), headquartered in P ...
following
Brexit
Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC ...
in favour of developing its own system of
navigation satellites.
The total cost of the United Kingdom Global Navigation Satellite System project was estimated at £5 billion.
In July 2020, the UK government and Indian conglomerate
Bharti Enterprises
Bharti Enterprises is an Indian multinational conglomerate, headquartered in Delhi. It was founded in 1976 by Sunil Mittal. Bharti Enterprises owns businesses spanning across manufacturing, telecommunications, agribusiness, real estate, ho ...
jointly purchased the bankrupt
OneWeb
OneWeb (legally Network Access Associates Ltd) is a communications company that aims to build broadband satellite Internet services. The company is headquartered in London, and has offices in Virginia, US and a satellite manufacturing facility ...
satellite company. The UKSA had advised the government that OneWeb was not suitable as a basis for a satellite navigation system.
On 25 September 2020, ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was f ...
'' reported that the United Kingdom Global Navigation Satellite System project had been scrapped. The project, deemed unnecessary and too expensive, will be replaced with a new project that will explore alternative ways to provide satellite navigation services.
Key people
The agency's chief executive since September 2021 is Dr Paul Bate, a civil servant with a PhD in
particle physics
Particle physics or high energy physics is the study of fundamental particles and forces that constitute matter and radiation. The fundamental particles in the universe are classified in the Standard Model as fermions (matter particles) an ...
.
Graham Turnock, a physicist who had previously worked at
HM Treasury
His Majesty's Treasury (HM Treasury), occasionally referred to as the Exchequer, or more informally the Treasury, is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for developing and executing the government's public finance policy and ...
and the
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, was the chief executive from March 2017 until the end of his four-year term in 2021.
Spaceports
Proposed sites for spaceports, and the companies associated with them, are as follows:
*
SaxaVord Spaceport
SaxaVord Spaceport, previously known as Shetland Space Centre, is a planned spaceport to be located on the Lamba Ness peninsula on Unst, the most northerly of the Shetland Islands. The proposed site is near the RAF Saxa Vord radar station and t ...
– Unst, Shetland Islands
**
Lockheed Martin /
ABL Space Systems
ABL Space Systems is an American private company, based in El Segundo, California, undertaking launch vehicle and launch systems technology development using CNC and 3D printing and minimized launch operations. The company manufactures its com ...
**
Skyrora
Skyrora Ltd is a private space company based in the United Kingdom since 2017.
The company specialises in the design and manufacture of modular disassemblable rocket launch vehicles, specifically for the launch of small satellites, and portable ...
*
Space Hub Sutherland
The Sutherland spaceport, also known as Space Hub Sutherland or UKVL Sutherland, is planned to be the first spaceport of the United Kingdom. It would be operated by a commercial entity and would employ 40 people. The spaceport will host a launc ...
– Sutherland, Scotland
**
Orbex
Orbital Express Launch Ltd., or Orbex, is a United Kingdom-based aerospace company that is developing a small commercial orbital rocket called Prime. Orbex is headquartered in Forres, Moray, in Scotland and has subsidiaries in Denmark and Germany ...
*
Spaceport Cornwall – Newquay Airport, Cornwall, England
**
Virgin Orbit
Virgin Orbit is a company within the Virgin Group which launch service provider, provides launch services for small satellites. On January 17, 2021, their ''LauncherOne'' rocket successfully reached orbit for the first time, and successfully dep ...
Other UK bodies
RAL Space, based at STFC's
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) is one of the national scientific research laboratories in the UK operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). It began as the Rutherford High Energy Laboratory, merged with the Atlas ...
, carries out space research and technology development.
The Space Academic Network provides a voice for the academic research community.
The
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom. Its stated purpose is "to maximise the impact of science and technology for the defence and security of the UK". The a ...
, headquartered at
Porton Down
Porton Down is a science park in Wiltshire, England, just northeast of the village of Porton, near Salisbury. It is home to two British government facilities: a site of the Ministry of Defence's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl ...
, Wiltshire, began a five-year programme of defence-related space research in 2017.
See also
*
UK Space Conference
*
List of government space agencies
This is a list of government agencies engaged in activities related to outer space and space exploration.
As of 2022, 77 different government space agencies are in existence, 16 of which have launch capabilities. Six government space agencie ...
References
External links
*
*
video version
Civil space strategy 2012 to 2016– UK Space Agency and The Rt Hon David Willetts, July 2012
Update report: UK Space Innovation and Growth Strategy 2015– UK Space Agency, July 2015
Video clips
UK Space Agency YouTube channel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uk Space Agency
Space programme of the United Kingdom
Astronomy in the United Kingdom
Space agencies
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Government agencies established in 2010
2010 establishments in England
Organisations based in Swindon
Executive agencies of the United Kingdom government