Source · Select Committees · Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 20
20
Rejected
Commit to identifying early public sector customers for Scotland's launch and spaceport sector
Recommendation
The UK Space Agency should therefore commit to working with both the UK and Scottish Governments to identify early public sector customers for Scotland’s launch and spaceport sector. Government becoming a customer of the Scottish launch sector would send a clear demand signal that the sector is viable and encourage the development of a more diverse customer base in the coming years. We also call on the Department for Business and Trade to explain within six months, either in a written ministerial statement or in writing to the Committee, how it will promote international demand for Scottish launch services. Similarly, given Scotland’s competitive geographic location and capabilities, we urge the Scotland Office to play an active role in realising the ambition for Scotland to be a global leader in small satellite launch. (Recommendation, Paragraph 92)
Government Response Summary
The government states it supports a commercial approach to launch, is highly unlikely to provide sufficient demand to sustain the sector, and will set out its space exports strategy in a 2026 publication.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
• Rather than the Government directly owning and managing rocket launch attempts, Government is supporting a commercial approach to building launch heritage following the US SpaceX model, i.e. enabling commercial providers to build the technical experience and learn from the first launch attempts that are most prohibitively costly and carry highest risk of failure. • While the Government is highly unlikely to provide sufficient demand to sustain the UK launch sector in and of themselves, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) supports the UK’s launch ambitions and works closely with allies and partners to assure appropriate and timely access to space. Two defence payloads were on board the Virgin Orbit launch from Spaceport Cornwall, and MoD is exploring further opportunities for harnessing the UK’s launch capabilities. • DBT already promotes the UK’s ambitions regarding launch capability in its overseas export promotion work, and regularly supports UK-based launch providers in accessing overseas markets. As the UK’s launch capability becomes fully operational, DBT will work with UKSA to further promote UK launch services to overseas customers. The Government will set out more information on its space exports strategy as part of the 2026 publication.