UKSA considers extra funding line for space environments research

The UK Space Agency has said it will consider establishing a funding line for space environments research that falls between the remits of the research councils.

The statement was made in response to a summary of contributions to its consultation on a draft national strategy for space environments and human spaceflight from interested parties, as well as the agency’s responses. Contributors raised concerns that certain funding for space environments research, such as plasma physics, falls between the remits of different funders.

The draft strategy, published on 22 August 2014, said that the UK must aim to become a “recognised and valued participant” in human space flight. It said the UK must continue to invest in European Space Agency programmes to allow its researchers access to the multinational organisation’s infrastructure and warned that the alternative option of making bilateral agreements covering specific projects would leave it subject to the "whims of other nations".