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Britain has bold ambitions in space. Earlier this year, the UK government set out plans to become a major player in the global space market with the publication of its National Space Strategy. Its vision : “We will build one of the most innovative and attractive space economies in the world, and the UK will grow as a space nation. We will protect and defend the UK’s interests in space [and] inspire the next generation and sustain the UK’s competitive edge in space science and technology.”

That requires a secure environment. In April, the government launched the UK Space Command, a military body tasked with creating a secure and resilient space environment for government, military, and industrial activity.

And the government plans investment too. This upgrade of the UK’s space capabilities includes a £5 billion investment over 10 years in military satellite communications, and £1.4 billion more in other space technologies. The strategy outlines the way the UK will operate in space – including the opening of seven  spaceports – in a wide-ranging 10-point plan. Capturing the European market in commercial small satellite launch is top of the list. This involves launching a rocket into orbit in 2022 – an anticipated first for any European country  – as an early step.

But this ambitious approach also raises questions. Does the UK have the necessary expertise, technology and industrial infrastructure to achieve such goals? How will it approach satellite navigation following the UK’s Brexit-linked departure from Galileo, the European Union’s global navigation satellite system? And how can the UK develop its space port capability in line with bold sustainability and climate goals?

These questions were the focus of a recent online New Ů��С��Ƶ debate — Can Britain become a new space pioneer? – sponsored by BAE Systems. The debate brought together a panel of leading thinkers and experts on space to discuss the future of the British space industry.

This industry comprises over 46,000 individuals and  is growing at a healthy 4.7 per cent annually. But the global space industry is even growing faster, at 5.6 per cent, so the UK needs to accelerate to keep up. That said, the UK is already a world leader in many space-related technologies, including quantum communications, scientific payloads, satellites – and using them to track and tackle climate change – and cutting-edge navigation systems. The nation is valued internationally as a big exporter of high-end space technology.

This expertise will be crucial, particularly in the wake of Britain’s exit from the Galileo programme. This departure has “actually expanded our horizons ”, said Air Vice-Marshal Paul Godfrey, Commander of the UK Space Command, and encouraged the UK to look at other technologies to replicate aspects of space-based position, navigation and timing technology. “From a defence perspective, the GPS signal is vulnerable to jamming and to spoofing, so we need look at more resilient ways of doing this. And there are some amazing technologies out there that might allow us to do some of this terrestrially.”

The UK’s upcoming smallsat launch capability  will also boost the resilience of UK communications, said Dave Short, Technology Director at BAE Systems. “You can put some tremendous  capability into those small packets, especially when it comes to sensors and aspects of communication. And you’ve got a greater resilience that comes from having multiple capabilities integrated with each other in low Earth orbit.”

The ability to launch satellites, sometimes at short notice, will be a boon for defence, added Godfrey: “Space is becoming more recognised as an operational domain – and it is also becoming more congested and contested at the same time. From a military perspective, the ability to have some sort of reactive capability is really exciting.”

Remaining at the forefront of space also means fostering a diverse, wide-ranging workforce . “Of course, we need mathematicians, scientists and engineers who can develop the technical aspects of our space assets, but we also need data scientists and computer scientists to analyse the data coming down from the spacecraft and develop new applications,” said Emily Gravestock , Head of Applications Strategy at UK Space Agency. “On top of that, the UK space sector needs to grow our many brilliant SMEs into larger businesses that can really take world-leading positions.”

Developing educational avenues and harnessing the rich diversity of the UK population is crucial, and Gravestock highlighted a variety of opportunities for young people to get involved. “We work with partners, both in industry and government, to supply internships and space industry placements. We’ve also got an annual competition that encourages young people aged 11 to 22 to get involved in space-sector entrepreneurship.”

Geography also matters, said Gravestock. “We’ve made the effort to come out from just the southeast to stretch right across the UK. That’s given a fantastic range of views in the UK space sector, with particular strength in Scotland. And we have got brilliant diversity – and diversity of thought – coming through.”

With its National Space Strategy, the UK has set out clear ambitions to advance as a major player in the global space market through home-grown talent, pioneering science and technology, and savvy commercial and international collaborations. If Britain is to become a new space pioneer, we will know before this decade is out.

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