(Minister of State for
Universities, Science, Research and Innovation):The UK
Space Agency is offering young people expert advice and the chance
to connect with space industry representatives, potential investors
and commercial partners, as well as a share of £50,000 for their
ideas of how satellites could improve life on Earth.
Satellite services such as navigation, communications and Earth
observation support industrial sectors worth £300 billion to the
UK economy. This competition gives young people the chance to
test new ideas with space experts and perhaps one day become part
of the UK space sector, which already supports 42,000 jobs and
could create thousands more this decade.
By supporting the UK’s next generation of scientists and
engineers, the competition will help turn young people’s ideas
into real-world proposals that could eventually transform our
lives – from saving our planet from climate change, to improving
healthcare services.
Anyone aged between 11 and 22 years old has until 3 March 2020 to
enter the competition through the UK Space Agency’s website. The
winners will go on to pitch their ideas to a panel of industry
experts, with the opportunity to gain further advice and support.
The government is committed to establishing a National Space
Council and developing a UK Space Strategy, while establishing
commercial spaceflight from UK spaceports for the first time, to
help the UK lead the way in this fast-growing, high-technology
sector. It is my own personal ambition to ensure the sector has a
bright future, and I would encourage all young people who are
fascinated by space to enter the SatelLife competition and to
play a key part in the second space age.
