A new report from the National Audit Office suggests that there has been little progress in implementing the UK’s national space strategy.
According to the report, the national space strategy – first published in 2021 – has faced challenges in securing enough funding compared to its investment in the European Space Agency.
This is because the UK hasn’t yet received contracts from ESA proportionate to the value of the funding it provides.
Overview of the national space strategy
The national space strategy, published in 2021 by the previous government, aimed to build a large and innovative space economy.
The strategy states: “We will protect and defend the UK’s interests in space, shape the space environment and use space to help solve challenges at home and overseas.
“Through cutting-edge research, we will inspire the next generation and sustain the UK’s competitive edge in space science and technology.”
The national space strategy outlined four key pillars which intended to support the achievement of this ambition. They are:
- Unlocking growth in the UK space sector
- Collaborating internationally
- Growing the UK as a science and technology superpower
- Developing resilient space services and capabilities
Through these pillars and a 10 point plan setting out the initial focus areas for the coming years, the strategy aims to establish the right conditions for achieving the UK’s civil and defence ambitions in space.
A broad strategy that is not fully delivering
According to the NAO report, the previous Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) recognised that the original strategy was broad and that it did not know how much it would cost to deliver.
It adds that three years later, DSIT and the UK Space Agency are still in the early stages of identifying and developing the plans and capabilities needed to deliver the national space strategy’s ambitions.
According to the NAO, the previous government didn’t provide enough clarity or detail on its strategic ambitions for space to “allow delivery bodies and stakeholders to plan to achieve them.”
Increasing the value of UK investments
In February 2023, a paper from a UKSA executive committee meeting reported that UK companies received an estimated £0.93 for every £1 UKSA contributed to ESA, excluding ESA’s internal operating costs.
The NAO report notes that UKSA is working with ESA to increase the value of contracts the UK receives.
However, the NAO says this means UK industry and researchers are still not benefiting from the full funding in terms of contract value.
Overall, the report states that UKSA and DSIT’s process for allocating UKSA’s £1.75bn budget for 2022 to 2025 had some weaknesses but that they are improving the approach for the next spending review period.
The report recommends that by June 2025, DSIT should “in preparation for and following the outcome of the spending review, assess whether there will be sufficient funding to achieve its ambitions and identified capabilities.”
Additionally, it states that should there be insufficient funding, the department should update its plans, identifying what would be deprioritised together with its longer-term funding ambitions.
The full report can be read and downloaded here.
