Parliamentary Committees and Public Enquiries
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UK space sector a real success story
The establishment of the UK Space Agency has helped make the UK’s space sector a multi-billion pound success story, according to a report from the Science and Technology Committee.
Andrew Miller MP, Chair of the Committee, said
“The UK’s space sector is a real success story. It is one of our economy’s fastest growing sectors, with an average growth rate of almost 7.5%, and it has ambitions to increase its annual turnover to £40 billion by 2030.
Our inquiry heard much positive feedback about the work of the UK Space Agency since its creation in 2011. Whilst there is more work to done, we were pleased to find a sense of momentum within the Agency and a real desire to respond to the needs of the space sector.
Given the right support, the sector will continue to grow and provide more and more high quality jobs in disciplines where the UK has real strength.”
The report welcomed recent increases in the UK’s commitments to the European Space Agency, but urged the UK Space Agency to strengthen UK influence within the European Space Agency by providing support for UK candidates applying for future director-level positions within the Agency.
Andrew Miller MP concluded:
“There are a number of exciting developments happening in the UK space sector, including the expansion of the European Space Agency’s operations at Harwell, the establishment of the Satellite Applications Catapult and Major Tim Peake’s upcoming mission to the International Space Station. With continued cross-party support, we hope to see this sector expand in line with its ambitions and continue to attract jobs and businesses to the UK.”
