Countdown begins to a national space programme

The UK government is proposing to set up a national space programme that could bring additional funding for academic space research and bilateral projects with other nations, a leading space industry figure has said.

Richard Peckham, chairman of the trade association UKSpace, and strategy and business development director at aerospace firm Airbus, told Research Fortnight on 22 March that after years of lobbying, it now looks likely that the government will agree to supporting a national space programme.

The project would be part of the government’s space sector deal, and would coordinate existing national schemes for space activities, running in parallel with the activities that the UK Space Agency (UKSA) carries out in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA).