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Factsheet: The UK Space Sector

Published 22 August 2025

1. Critical to UK Economy and Security 

• 18% of UK GDP (£454 billion) reliant on satellite services.^{[footnote 1]}

• Space is a Critical National Infrastructure sector. 

2. UK Space Agency impact 

• Catalysed £2.2 billion in investment and revenue for the UK space sector in 2024/25.^{[footnote 2]} 

• Secured £7.49 in direct economic return for every £1 of UK investment in the European Space Agency.^{[footnote 3]} 

• Delivered 13 million participant hours across 35 funded education and future workforce projects.^{[footnote 4]}

3. UK Space Economy^{[footnote 5]}

• 1,907 organisations 

• 55,550 people employed 

• £18.6 billion income generated 

4. A Global Opportunity 

• UK is #1 in Europe for private investment (2014–2024)^{[footnote 6]}, spending 1% of global civil space funding for 5% of the market.^{[footnote 7] [footnote 8] [footnote 9]}

5. UK Space Agency activity  

5.1 Launch 

• First licensed vertical launch spaceport in Europe, with launches expected in 2025/26. 

• UK company Orbex pre-selected for ESA’s European Launcher Challenge. 

5.2 In-orbit Servicing Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) 

• Procurement underway with up to £75.6 million for the UK’s first mission to remove defunct satellites from orbit. 

• First UK satellite launched from Space Forge for in-space manufacturing. 

5.3 Space Resilience 

• First full year of operations for the National Space Operations Centre: 30,000 collision alerts to over 90% of UK-licensed satellite operators; monitoring 870 uncontrolled re-entries.^{[footnote 10]}

• UK industry designing and building ESA’s Vigil space weather mission, supporting 150 jobs.^{[footnote 11]} 

5.4 Skills and future workforce 

• Five new training courses, with 4,500 people receiving continuing professional development.^{[footnote 12]}  

5.5 Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) 

• First open competition to develop a government time transfer capability across UK strategic locations. 

5.6 Space science 

• More than 20 missions to put UK science at the heart of global action to better understand our Universe, from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to ESA’s Ariel spacecraft, which will help the search for life beyond Earth. 

• UK ranked #2 globally within the top 10% of most cited publications in astronomy and space science.^{[footnote 13]}

5.7 Exploration 

• Dr Rosemary Coogan completed astronaut basic training and is certified for spaceflight assignments. Astronaut reserves John McFall and Dr Meganne Christian undergoing training. 

• First successful commercial lunar landing by FireFly powered by UK engine developed by  Nammo. 

• Mars Rover built by Airbus in the UK on track for launch in 2028. 

5.8 International Partnerships 

• 30 projects supported through the International Bilateral Fund with nations including Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the US. 

5.9 European Space Agency (ESA) 

• Major improvement in the UK’s geo-return, securing additional contracts of €134 million for UK industry.^{[footnote 14]} 

• Secured £7.49 return for every £1 invested in ESA.^{[footnote 15]}

5.10 Earth Observation 

• UK leadership on the science and industry contributions to ESA’s Biomass mission, the first P-band radar to map the world’s forests. 

• First dedicated European carbon dioxide monitoring satellite (MicroCarb) launched, thanks to UK-France partnership.  

• UK EO data hub to improve access and ease of use for a wide range of organisations that can benefit from satellite observations. 

5.11 Telecommunications 

• Up to £160 million available for Connectivity in low Earth Orbit 

• First dedicated direct-to device mobile network in the UK with Viasat under development 

• UK-built Lunar Pathfinder communications and navigation satellite set to launch to the Moon in 2026.  

5.12 Innovation, Investment and Commercialisation 

• 108 projects (since 2020) delivered through the National Space Innovation Programme, boosting bold UK ideas. 

• Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund projected to catalyse £700 million of private investment.^{[footnote 16]} 

• First space investments made through the UKI2S fund. 

5.13 Space Sustainability 

• First Space Sustainability Standards published by BSI. 

• UK Chair of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee.

1. Size and Health of the UK Space Industry 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/size-and-health-of-the-uk-space-industry-2024 ↩

2. UK Space Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2024-2025 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-space-agency-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-2025 ↩

3. Evaluating the benefits of the UK’s investments in the European Space Agency https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluating-the-benefits-of-the-uks-investments-in-the-european-space-agency ↩

4. UK Space Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2024-2025 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-space-agency-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-2025 ↩

5. Size and Health of the UK Space Industry 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/size-and-health-of-the-uk-space-industry-2024 ↩

6. Space Venture 2024, European Space Policy Institute  https://www.espi.or.at/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Space_Venture_2024.pdf ↩

7. Size and Health of the UK Space Industry 2023: Size and Health of the UK Space Industry 2023 - GOV.UK ↩

8. The Space Economy in Figures. OECD 2023: The Space Economy in Figures, OECD ↩

9. Novaspace 2025 (Defense Spending Drives Government Space Budgets to Historic High  - Novaspace) ↩

10. UK space safety centre marks one-year milestone https://space.blog.gov.uk/2025/07/11/uk-space-safety-centre-marks-one-year-milestone/ ↩

11.  https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-industry-secures-leading-role-in-space-weather-mission ↩

12.  p.34 of the Annual Report https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/687e0590a18d3a8ca86e5f45/UK_Space_Agency_Annual_Report_2024-25_Print_v15.pdf ↩

13.  Space Economy for People, Planet and Prosperity (Figure 4) ↩

14.  Record UK contract wins through European Space Agency https://www.gov.uk/government/news/record-uk-contract-wins-through-european-space-agency ↩

15.  Evaluating the benefits of the UK’s investments in the European Space Agency: Impact and value for money report - GOV.UK ↩

16. UK Space Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2024-2025 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-space-agency-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-2025 ↩