Guidance

Unlocking Space programme

Published 3 September 2025

© Crown copyright 2025

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unlocking-space/unlocking-space-programme

The Unlocking Space Programme aims to tackle identified barriers that may be preventing growth of the UK space industry. The Programme is focused on engaging audiences outside of the traditional space sector to drive market demand for space technology, develop national security capabilities and attract private investment to support the scale up of UK SMEs. It does this by returning to first principles, working to identify specific root barriers that can be addressed through government intervention.

The Unlocking Space Programme forms part of the Innovation, Investment and Commercialisation initiative within the UK Space Agency, with an emphasis on support companies from start-up to scale-up (growth phase) to maximise delivery against economic growth. This has shaped the focus on the Programme’s initiatives, which are:

  • Demand Pull: Increasing uptake and benefits of space data and capabilities to improve private and public services
  • National Security: Generating value through better alignment, including joint technology road mapping, and provision of space capabilities for joint civilian and military use
  • Growth: Boosting UK prosperity by stimulating regional growth and catalysing investment into the UK space sector in support of wider UK economic growth
  • Innovation: Coordinating delivery of financial and technical government interventions, including technology and standards, that spur innovation and R&D to drive growth and deliver societal benefits

Amongst a broad ecosystem of programmes across the UK Space Agency that deliver against these objectives, the Unlocking Space Programme aims to deliver by:

  • championing space in those areas, promoting space capabilities and utility, while educating stakeholders about how space and satellite solutions can bring value
  • catalysing investment in those areas supporting new value chains by sharing the risk to new approaches using space and satellite solutions.

The Unlocking Space Programme has taken an evidenced-led approach including significant engagement with investors, academia, industry, and government stakeholders to identify barriers preventing further growth of the UK space sector.

These are: 

  • Unlocking Space for Business: Drive private sector adoption of satellite data and services

  • Unlocking Space for Government (Civil): Aggregate demand across Government to increase public sector adoption of satellite solutions

  • Unlocking Space for Government (Defence): Create an integrated civilian and defence approach to space for national security, unlocking new revenue and growth opportunities for UK Space SMEs

  • Unlocking Space for Investment: Tackle access to finance barriers for the UK space sector.

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