- Draft legislation to enable spaceflight from the UK by 2020
to be published within weeks
- The global space market is worth an estimated £25 billion
over the next 20 years
Grants worth £10 million are being made available to help develop
commercial launch capability for spaceflight, Science Minister
announced today. The funding
comes as the government announced the timeline for new
legislation which will facilitate and regulate commercial
spaceflight.
The government’s ambitions for the UK to hold a greater share of
the commercial spaceflight market, worth an estimated £25 billion
over the next 20 years, took a step forward with a call for
businesses to develop competitive, commercial and safe
spaceflight proposals for UK-based satellite launch services and
sub-orbital flights.
Universities and Science Minister said:
Spaceflight offers the UK the opportunity to build on our
strengths in science, research and innovation. It provides
opportunities to expand into new markets, creating
highly-skilled jobs and boosting local economies across the
country. That is why it is one of the key pillars of
our Industrial Strategy.
We want to see the UK space sector flourish, that is why we are
laying the groundwork needed for business to be able to access
this lucrative global market worth an estimated £25 billion
over the next 20 years. The call for proposals I announced
today, together with a new, dedicated Spaceflight Bill, will
help make our space ambitions a reality.
Organisations expected to bid for a share of the funding are
likely to be joint enterprises of launch vehicle operators and
potential launch sites. The funding must be used to develop
spaceflight capabilities, such as building spaceport
infrastructure or adapting launch vehicle technology for use in
the UK. The aim is to establish a commercial spaceflight market
to capture a share of the emerging global market from 2020.
The government also announced today that it is preparing
legislation to develop a safe and competitive regulatory
environment for spaceflight. This work goes hand-in-hand with
government’s work internationally to achieve the technical, trade
and policy agreements necessary for UK based launch services and
developing interest from launch customers and operators from
around the world.
There will be further discussions with industry on the future of
the UK’s commercial spaceflight market at the Royal Aeronautical
Society on 21st February, hosted by the UK Space Agency.
Notes to Editors
- Proposals must be submitted to the UK Space Agency, in
accordance with the guidance set out in the call notice by
15 April 2017.
- Proposals must be submitted by joint enterprises, consisting
of at least one potential UK spaceport and one small-satellite
launch or sub-orbital flight operator.
- This initial call is focused on establishing the commercial
spaceflight market in the UK by potentially providing grant
funding to the most feasible proposals, and is not a prize. The
UK Space Agency will continue to offer support and advice to all
potential UK spaceports and operators, regardless of the outcome.
- Proposals that meet the mandatory criteria will be assessed
by an independent advisory panel, which will evaluate the
proposals according to a set scoring system as described in
the call notice.
- There is no limit to the total grant which may be applied for
as part of the proposal, however an exceptional case would be
needed for funding over £10 million. There is no cap on the
number of proposals that may be funded, or the number of
proposals that an applicant may participate in. The Government is
not committed to any expenditure, and will evaluate proposals
carefully to ensure proper use of public funds.
- To be considered for a grant, joint enterprises or vehicle
operators and potential spaceports should propose an outline
business plan on how they intend to launch small satellites or
sub-orbital flights, including space tourism, microgravity
flights or spaceplanes, from the UK by 2020.
- Any award of funding will not preclude or influence the need
for all commercial spaceflight operations to be fully licenced.
- The UK space sector drives growth and skills across the
country as part of the government’s industrial
strategy
