Science Minister has unveiled a new £15 million fund
for UK businesses to revolutionise satellite communications
technology.
The competition, running until next spring, is open to
organisations developing ambitious technologies across the
satellite communications ecosystem. It will prioritise customer
needs, support sustainable growth and catalyse further investment
into the UK space sector, which already employs 47,000 people.
Ideas can focus on creating entire new satellite constellations,
ground systems, or delivering new services to customers, and will
be funded through the UK Space Agency’s leading role in the
European Space Agency (ESA) Advanced Research in
Telecommunications Services (ARTES) programme.
This new funding package is announced as the Science Minister
travels to Rome, Italy, in her first space-focused visit overseas
to meet ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher.
The meeting comes ahead of the ESA Council of Ministers (CMIN22)
next month where the UK and other member states will negotiate
their future contributions to ESA for priority space projects and
missions.
Science Minister said:
I am proud to be representing the UK space sector as we discuss
our ambitions ahead of the ESA Council of Ministers next month.
There are a series of important programmes on the table and I
want to harness opportunities in space to grow the UK economy,
create jobs and inspire young people into STEM careers.
We’re also making new funding available now to strengthen the
UK’s position as a world leader in the satellite communications
market, and I look forward to seeing the results of the
competition.
The £15 million fund comes as a new report shows every £1
invested in ESA generates an overall return of £11.80 for the UK
economy.
The Impact Evaluation of UK
Investment in the European Space Agency also shows the UK is
in the top three nations in terms of scientific output, with the
USA and Germany. This is a measure of the publication rate per
every £1 invested among key space-faring countries.
The UK’s role in ESA is an important part of delivering on the
government’s ambitious National Space Strategy. The UK committed
£374 million per year over five years to ESA in 2019 and this
report looks at the impact of that investment in 2020 and 2021.
The ARTES programme is one of the UK Space Agency’s key
commercial drivers for UK space sector growth and includes
projects such as Eurostar Neo. UK involvement, which is expected
to bring a 20:1 return on investment, will see new geostationary
satellites developed by UK-based Airbus launched into space to
provide better broadcast, internet and communications services
around the world.
Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said:
Our ESA membership delivers huge advantages to the UK, by
catalysing investment into the sector, backing innovative
companies, and providing access to new missions and capabilities
such as the James Webb Space Telescope.
As a founding member of ESA, UK space organisations benefit from
access to world-class facilities in the UK and Europe, the
expertise of ESA’s 3,000 staff, and close links to the wider
international space community, including other space agencies
like NASA.
This new report demonstrates how our participation in ESA
translates into real results for the UK economy and continues to
play an important role in meeting our national space ambitions.
