The UK Government has launched a new space strategy, pledging £7.8bn ($10.5bn) through 2030 in an effort to strengthen national security and advance the country’s space sector.
Announced on 8 September, the UK Space Strategy brings all government investment and activity in space under a single plan intended to drive industrial growth, enhance defence capabilities, and support critical technologies.
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According to official details, the new approach recognises space as a domain vital for national safety and economic development.
The government highlighted that a focus on Space Domain Awareness, the capability to identify, track, and monitor objects such as satellites, rockets, and debris in Earth’s orbit, will receive significant investment.
This includes £149m for the European Space Agency’s Vigil mission, intended to provide early alerts for potential satellite collisions and threats from space weather, and £85m for the National Space Operations Centre.
A further £880m is earmarked to reinforce the UK’s space control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
These funds will support technologies to detect military movements and threats to satellites, aiming to enable prompt protective action for UK and allied assets both in orbit and on the ground.
The strategy also dedicates £2.8bn towards connectivity projects such as the Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit programme and the SKYNET defence communications initiative.
These initiatives are designed to maintain secure communications for the UK Armed Forces globally and expand reliable satellite-based connectivity to rural communities and transport corridors.
In addition to defence and connectivity, the strategy outlines £40m for advancements in in-orbit servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) technologies.
These funds will support efforts to repair, maintain, and safely remove damaged satellites and debris from orbit, while also developing new products in the space environment, including semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.
Further measures include £148m for participation in European rocket development, £30m for SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland, and £163m for space science and exploration missions such as the Rosalind Franklin Mars Rover, which was built in Stevenage.
Other investments span £57m to improve digital connectivity on railways, £190m via UK Research and Innovation for astronomy and space science, and £9m to the Met Office for expanded space weather forecasting.
The new strategy replaces the previous National Space Strategy released in 2021 and is intended to contribute to the government’s broader industrial objectives.
In addition to the new space strategy, updates to space regulations are underway, aiming to lower costs for operators, reward responsible practices, and streamline investment in areas including satellite servicing and lunar missions.
