Select Committee · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

UK space strategy and UK satellite infrastructure

Status: Closed Opened: 23 Apr 2021 Closed: 19 Feb 2024 35 recommendations 10 conclusions 2 reports

The UK space sector holds great potential, generating an income of £14.8 billion annually according to the Government’s Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy . Nevertheless, it has been suggested that the UK’s approach to space policy requires a rethink. Further, investment in UK lags behind that of other nations such as …

Clear

Reports

2 reports
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Seventh Report - UK space strategy and UK satellite infrast… HC 1717 14 Jul 2023 8 Responded
Second Report - UK space strategy and UK satellite infrastr… HC 100 4 Nov 2022 37 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

5 items
6 Recommendation Second Report - UK space strategy and U… Deferred

Considering the importance of developing secure access to PNT services, we are disappointed that the...

Considering the importance of developing secure access to PNT services, we are disappointed that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is delaying the finalisation and publication of the PNT strategy and therefore refusing to commit to the critical action that needs to be taken. Although BEIS is …

Government response. The government has deferred action on the PNT strategy, stating that the cross-government PNT team, now within the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, will complete its work by Spring 2023 to decide on the next steps, including whether to …
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
18 Recommendation Second Report - UK space strategy and U… Deferred

We commend the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s approach to promoting the sustainable...

We commend the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s approach to promoting the sustainable and safe use of space by developing a “regulatory road map” for the sustainable use of space and working with like- minded nations to promote the safe use of space. The Department should publish this …

Government response. The government is working to develop a roadmap for the sustainable use of space, aiming to reach consensus and deliver it by the summer of 2023, building on the recently announced Plan for Space Sustainability.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
35 Recommendation Second Report - UK space strategy and U… Deferred

While we accept that the scope of the UK space industry is quickly changing and...

While we accept that the scope of the UK space industry is quickly changing and that the Government must take an adaptable approach to measuring its success, dropping headline targets when producing strategies and plans indicates a lack of ambition. If the implementation of the new National Space Strategy is …

Government response. The government is leading work to identify a coherent set of UK space capability needs and will publish developed capability goals in Spring 2023, with further work to identify how the capabilities could be achieved to follow.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
5 Recommendation Seventh Report - UK space strategy and … Deferred

Publish plans for ongoing government financial support to the UK space launch sector

We are pleased to see the progress being made at spaceports across the country and with the pace at which SaxaVord Spaceport, which has been almost entirely privately funded, is developing. SaxaVord Spaceport is now likely to be the first spaceport ready for vertical orbital launch activities. International experience shows …

Government response. The government deflected from addressing financial support for the UK launch sector by referencing a letter about publishing outcomes of work on Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) by autumn.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
8 Recommendation Seventh Report - UK space strategy and … Deferred

Publish the Position, Navigation and Timing Strategy without further delay alongside this report response

The Government continues to delay key decisions that need to be made about the UK’s critical Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) capabilities. It has long promised to update its PNT strategy but work on this topic has been passed between departments and teams and is yet to amount to any …

Government response. The government defers the publication of its Position, Navigation and Timing Strategy, stating DSIT hopes to publish the outcome of its work by autumn of this year at the latest, rather than alongside the report response as recommended.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Oral evidence sessions

8 sessions
Date Witnesses
17 May 2023 Colin Macleod · Civil Aviation Authority, Dave Ballance · SaxaVord Spaceport, Frank Strang · SaxaVord Spaceport, George Freeman MP · Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Jonas Bjarnø · Orbex, Mario Kobald · HyImpulse Technologies, Rebecca Evernden · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Rob Bishton · Civil Aviation Authority View ↗
1 Mar 2023 Dan Hart · Virgin Orbit, Ian Annett · UK Space Agency, Joshua Western · Space Forge Ltd, Melissa Quinn · Spaceport Cornwall, Patrick McCall · Space Forge Ltd, Sir Stephen Hillier CBE · Civil Aviation Authority, Tim Johnson · Aviation Environment Federation View ↗
10 Feb 2022 Dr Gillian Lang · Glasgow Science Centre, Dr Lynne O'Hare · National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, Dr Stuart Hannah · MicroPlate Dx, Elaine Gemmell · Scottish Health Innovations Ltd, Karen Watt · Scottish Funding Council, Professor Frank Coton · University of Glasgow, Professor Iain Woodhouse · University of Edinburgh, Professor Malcolm Macdonald · University of Strathclyde, Simon Andrews · Fraunhofer UK View ↗
9 Feb 2022 Dr Paul Bate · UK Space Agency, Hugo Robson · Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Mark Thomson · Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rebecca Evernden · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng · Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy View ↗
12 Jan 2022 Colin Macleod · Civil Aviation Authority, Dr Hiroshi Yamakawa · Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Dr Philippe Baptiste · Centre national d'études spatiales—French National Space and Research Centre, Josef Aschbacher · European Space Agency, Tim Johnson · Aviation Environment Federation View ↗
8 Dec 2021 Chris McLaughlin · OneWeb, Dr Hina Khan · Spire Global Limited, Jon Styles · Assimila, Professor Sir Martin Sweeting · Surrey Satellite Technologies Ltd, Yasrine Ibnyahya · Inmarsat View ↗
17 Nov 2021 Alan Thompson · Skyrora Limited, Dan Hart · Virgin Orbit, Melissa Thorpe · Spaceport Cornwall, Nicholas Smith · Lockheed Martin Space, Pete Guthrie · Space Hub Sutherland, Scott Hammond · SaxaVord Spaceport View ↗
3 Nov 2021 Lucy Edge · Satellite Applications Catapult, Professor Anu Ojha · National Space Academy, Professor David Southwood · Imperial College London, Professor Washington Yotto Ochieng · Imperial College London View ↗

Correspondence

7 letters
DateDirectionTitle
19 Apr 2023 Correspondence from Minister of State for Department for Transport, to Chair in…
7 Sep 2022 Correspondence from Secretary of State for BEIS relating to OneWeb merger
30 Jun 2022 Correspondence from Science Minister George Freeman MP relating to Space Indust…
26 May 2022 Correspondence from Rt. Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP, Secretary of State of Business, …
27 Apr 2022 Correspondence from the Chair to Kwasi Kwarteng MP, Secretary of State for Busi…
31 Mar 2022 Correspondence from Kwasi Kwarteng MP, Secretary of State for Business, Energy …
23 Mar 2022 Correspondence from the Chair to Kwasi Kwarteng MP, Secretary of State for Busi…