The U.K. government is finalizing a new space strategy set for release in the coming weeks that will coordinate civil, commercial, and national security space activities around two core goals: economic growth and national security. Rebecca Evernden, director of the U.K. Space Agency, outlined the approach at the Spacetide conference in Tokyo, identifying four focus areas: satellite communications, launch, space domain awareness and sustainability, and in-space servicing and manufacturing. The strategy consolidates guidance across government agencies following the U.K. Space Agency's integration into the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in April.
The U.K. has already committed significant funding to space priorities. The Ministry of Defence announced in June a Defence Investment Plan allocating 2.3 billion pounds for satellite communications and 880 million pounds for space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance through 2030, with an additional 9 billion pounds earmarked for defense systems from 2030 to 2035. Evernden emphasized the importance of international partnerships, naming the European Space Agency, the United States, and Japan as priority partners. She also highlighted growing commercial success, noting that Tokyo-based Astroscale expanded its U.K. office from five to nearly 200 employees after targeting the country for its focus on space sustainability and debris removal.