£100m boost to position UK as world leader in space technology

The Universities and Science Minister paid a visit to the future site of a new government-funded satellite facility in Oxfordshire this week.

The Government’s £100m package for the creation of a National Satellite Testing Facility (NSTF) on the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire includes £99m of Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund investment.

Additionally, the Government is ploughing £4m into a new National Space Propulsion Facility (NSPF) at Wescott Venture Park in Buckinghamshire, where experts in the field will develop and test space engines.

Forming part of the wider Industrial Strategy, the funding boost will enable companies operating in the UK space sector to remain competitive as they bid for national and international contracts, positioning the UK as a world leader in space technology.

Speaking at the UK Space Gateway on the Harwell Campus, where the NSTF will be located, Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson said: “From Cornwall to the Highlands and islands of Scotland, the UK space sector underpins industries worth more than £250bn to the UK economy, and through our Industrial Strategy we will unlock the sector’s potential to grow further.

“Located in a cluster known for research excellence, these new facilities will help UK companies be more competitive in the global market for space technology and support our ambition to capture 10% of the global space market by 2030.”

Opening in early 2020, the NSTF will serve as a facility for the assembly and testing of space instruments and satellites.

It is estimated that, by 2025, between 3,500 and 10,000 satellites will have been launched into space.

At the NSPF, businesses and academia will test and develop space propulsion engines alongside a new facility for aerospace manufacturer Reaction Engines Ltd for the development of its SABRE air-breathing rocket engine.

UK Space Agency chief executive Dr Graham Turnock said: “This investment will enhance the capability of the UK space industry. Having access to a National Satellite Testing Facility will help companies develop and encourage new business to come the UK, while the development of new facilities at Westcott builds on what is already a world-class UK space propulsion sector.”

Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) chief exec Dr Brian Bowsher commented: “STFC’s RAL Space team has been chosen as the delivery organisation for this investment and our staff will be responsible for the definition, design, building, fit out and operation of the facility.

“This is fantastic recognition of the strong reputation we have in the UK and overseas as the go-to team for the assembly, integration and testing of the incredibly complex and unique engineering involved in space payloads and satellites.”