In the wake of Brexit, OneWeb’s shakeup, and a pandemic that wreaked havoc on the economy, the United Kingdom is emerging as a space and satellite-industry powerhouse. Even Queen Elizabeth II is intrigued.
NanoAvionics, a small-satellite mission integrator that started as a group of college students building a satellite in a classroom, has completed more than 85 missions and commercial projects with five locations across the globe, including Basingstoke. Edward F. Jamieson, the company’s U.K. business development manager, said: “The New Space trend has reinvigorated academics and scientists in the U.K. They realize that with the right technology they can be part of this renaissance.”
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The U.K. government reports the space sector has fueled creation of more than 3,000 new jobs. Antonio Rodenas, CEO of Bristol-based Orbital Wave, says the UK is progressing toward a target to grow its global share of the space market to 10 percent by 2030. “These ambitious targets are driving a renaissance moment in the U.K.’s commercial space sector.” In a telling sign of the times, Queen Elizabeth II recently visited space company headquarters in Scotland, including Spire’s.
Phil Brownnett, managing director of Surrey Satellite Technology LTD (SSTL), highlighted the company’s Lunar Pathfinder satellite to provide data relay services for any lunar asset anywhere on the Moon — a mission in collaboration with ESA, UKSA, and NASA, expected to provide services from 2024. He cautioned: “Space traffic management is going to be a major challenge over the coming years now that we are seeing more than 1,000 satellites launched every year. This will make space operations more challenging and it will require nations to work together to iterate safe codes of conduct.” VS
