Investing in Science and Technology

Our success in Space is built on our world-class science and technology capabilities.

The UK has always been a ‘disruptor’. Our industrialists and scientists are pushing boundaries in space exploration and challenging barriers to accessing space.

We invest around £566m in space research and development, making the space industry six times more R&D intensive than the UK average.

This investment, combined with the UK’s contribution to European space institutions, has propelled our science base, enabling UK scientists to take leading roles in ground-breaking international collaborations, including the European mission to Jupiter and the search for Exoplanets.

We have participated in ground-breaking missions to visit a comet (Rosetta), demonstrated technology for a gravity wave observatory (Lisa Pathfinder), and developed instruments to measure Arctic and Antarctic ice (Cryosat), the Earth’s surface soil water and the salt in the oceans (SMOS).

Technology innovations developed here have made us European leaders in key digital processing and satellite payload technologies.  We also developed the concept of the small satellite, appropriating technologies from other sectors to enable modular, scalable production at low cost.

Looking to the future, a National Space Programme will ensure the UK maintains its world-leading excellence in our ‘stand-out’ industrial and academic strengths.