LONDON, — The UK government has launched a new £7.8 billion national space strategy covering planned investment through 2030, with defence, national security, connectivity and economic growth at its centre.
The strategy replaces the 2021 National Space Strategy and brings together previously separate programmes across defence, science, transport and industry. It also supports the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy.
More than £3 billion will support military space capabilities, backed by the Defence Investment Plan. The funding is intended to protect UK and allied space assets and maintain secure communications.
Defence and Space Security
The UK will invest £880 million in space control and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems. These capabilities will monitor military activity on Earth and detect potential attacks against satellites.
A further £2.8 billion will support satellite connectivity, including the Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit (CLEO) programme and the Ministry of Defence’s SKYNET secure communications system. SKYNET supports secure communications for British forces worldwide and includes the Airbus-built SKYNET 6A satellite, scheduled for launch in 2027.
The government plans to use common satellite infrastructure for both national-security and public-service requirements. The connectivity investment is also intended to support rural communities and includes £57 million to reduce mobile signal interruptions on the national rail network.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the UK’s national security depends on freedom of action in space and the ability to protect UK and allied assets. He said the investment would strengthen the country’s ability to detect and respond to increasingly sophisticated threats while supporting reindustrialisation and UK opportunities.
Monitoring Threats in Orbit
Space Domain Awareness is another major part of the strategy. The government will provide £149 million to the European Space Agency’s Vigil mission and £85 million to the National Space Operations Centre.
The programmes will monitor satellites, rockets and debris and provide earlier warnings of potential collisions, solar storms and potentially hostile activity. The information will help protect services including power networks, communications and navigation. Another £9 million will support space-weather forecasting.
Supporting the UK Space Industry
The UK space sector is valued at £18.6 billion and supports more than 55,000 skilled jobs.
For the first time, government departments will use a common approach to purchasing and developing space technology, beginning with satellite communications. The government expects this to speed up delivery, improve value for money and direct more work towards British suppliers.
Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the strategy would strengthen the UK’s ability to launch satellites, detect threats and protect services while helping domestic industry create skilled jobs and drive economic growth.
The package includes £148 million for European rocket programmes and £60 million to finalize SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland, including £30 million from the private sector.
Science, Exploration and New Space Technologies
The government will invest £190 million in astronomy and space-science research and £163 million in science and exploration missions, including continued support for the UK-built Rosalind Franklin Mars Rover.
Another £40 million will support in-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM) technologies for repairing satellites, addressing orbital debris and supporting manufacturing in space.
The strategy also introduces planned regulatory changes designed to lower costs and attract private investment. These include revised liability limits and specific waivers for certain lunar and ISAM missions launched before the end of 2030, along with changes to third-party liability insurance models and a more proportionate approach to monitoring the financial health of satellite constellation operators instead of requiring decommissioning funds.
The strategy was published on September 8, 2026, and sets out the UK’s space priorities through 2030, including satellite communications, space domain awareness, ISAM and assured access to space.
——— End of Article ———
